Code Lyoko: Evolution Season 2
by Ferezhunter
Summary: I am writing a second season to Evolution. I hope that people will like it and want it animated into canon. It will explain the backstory of the supercomputer, the mysterious organizations hinted through Aelita's flashbacks, further the story of the Lyoko Warriors and the characters surrounding them, add new characters, and is guaranteed to have a satisfying ending.
1. EP 1: Unexpected Addition A

I remember when I first discovered Code Lyoko. I was browsing the Cartoon Network website. I can't remember what first attracted me to click on it, but maybe it was the fact that it had 3D animation, which was huge for me as a kid who liked video games. I clicked on the first episode. Then I realized that I had no idea what was going on and though I had accidently clicked on a later episode and not the pilot. I went back and searched for it. But "Teddygozilla" was the first episode on the list. So, I rolled with it and watched it.

I'm still rolling and I hope I will never stop. I watched all there was on the website, Then I hit EP 54 - Lyoko minus one. And that was it. I assumed the series had been cancelled and was disappointed.

But Code Lyoko stuck with me. When I was bored in class, I imagined what the Lyoko Warriors would be doing or what could be an episode. I never liked unfinished series. They just made me wonder where things could have gone. I thought "What if they went to a waterpark?" or "What was Project Carthage all about and what went wrong." No matter what, these kinds of questions always came back to me.

Then one year, I opened Netflix and then I nearly screamed. In the banner at the top was "Now on Netflix: Code Lyoko". I immediately went in and found EP 55. I saw that there was the rest of that season and A WHOLE OTHER SEASON AFTER! I watched a couple and just revealed in the old nostalgia and the joy of finding something new about my favorite series. And then it was over. XANA was dead. The series had tied itself up in one neat bow that meant their whole adventure remained hidden in the shadows, with only memories, theirs and ours, as proof of its existence.

BUT I WANTED MORE!

I wanted an explanation on how Lyoko came to be. I wanted to see a perfect ending where everything was explained and all the characters grew, fought, changed, and were victorious. But I never got that.

I though my dilemma would never be solved. So, I searched for more And I found a trailer for Code Lyoko: Evolution. I had seen footage before and thought it was a fan project, so I dismissed it. But at this point, I was desperate. So, I searched for the English Dub on YouTube. After 20 minutes, I realized that none existed. I settled for the French Audio with English subs on the TechECoyote2772 YouTube channel. I thought it had a rocky start, but it had potential. I mean, they started the original series WITHOUT THE PILOT EPISODE. So, I gave it a chance. I saw every pathetic special effect, every stiff emotionless line, every half speed attack that made it look like The Slow-Mo guys shot all the real-life action scenes. But the animation, oh the animation :3. Fight sequences that didn't reuse footage, actual martial arts between Ulrich and the ninjas, the attitudes of the characters captured perfectly, high speed chases. It was almost everything I could ask more of the virtual world.

I couldn't predict how they would wrap up the story. And then they didn't. They didn't even have a huge battle in the final episode. They failed at the start of the episode and then they had no problems at the end. The conflict of the season would bleed over into the next one. Now, this would be okay, if they actually made another season. But they didn't. I wanted to scream to the producers "STOP GIVING ME GOOD THINGS IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO CRUSH MY DREAMS!"

That's when I decided something. If they weren't going to give me the story we and the series deserved, then I would just write it myself. I had enough ideas from over the years to serve at least one season. So, I started brainstorming. This was 2015.

That's when I made it my personal mission to ensure that the series continues in the way it needs to. So, I am writing a second season to Evolution. I hope that people will like it and want it animated into canon. It will explain the backstory of the supercomputer, the mysterious organizations hinted through Aelita's flashbacks, further the story of the Lyoko Warriors and the characters, and have everything the series needs to be equal to the stand out shows of our day. It will expand the content of the show and make sure everything has a satisfying ending and not a cliffhanger!

The reason I want to do this is because there's a reason we love Code Lyoko. The characters are people who go to school, have troubles with their parents, deal with daily problems and then get to have escapism by visiting a virtual world. Too many shows tried the "trapped in a video game" plot. That's not what makes video games entertaining. Lyoko allowed the characters and us to escape away from our problems for the day and let us know, "Yeah, everything seems bad. All this horrible stuff could happen. But just be yourself, get through it, play video games, and everything will end up just fine." And that's why so many people outside the indented age range love it.

**About this series**

If anyone wants to continue experiencing the universe of Code Lyoko, I wrote a script for a possible 2nd season of Code Lyoko: Evolution consisting of 31 episodes.

It's also designed so that anyone can jump into the universe. You do not need to know anything about Code Lyoko original or Evolution as it explains those events since it's a spiritual successor to season 1 and continuing Evolution. (I'm trying to avoid having people watch Evolution season 1 as much as possible.) I will talk about some things here in the prologue that newcomers won't understand, but the story itself with be self-explanatory.

This is part of the same universe as the Code Lyoko show. It is not a reboot as this story is set in the Code Lyoko: Evolution universe, not the Chronicles universe. This new season dives deeply into the backstory of the supercomputers.

I hope that this story can correct most of the inconsistencies between the original series and Evolution. In fixing the inconsistencies whenever they come up in the story, I will lean toward the original series or try to combine the two versions.

The idea for these first few chapters is that something terrible has happened and the heroes we all love aren't here anymore because of it. And it's up to a few new characters to pick up the pieces and rekindle the love the fans and newcomers alike share for this universe. To take CL back to its roots and revitalize it, Season 2 is split into 2 arcs. The Carthan 2 Arc and the Deckard Incident Arc.

The Carthan 2 Arc repeats the main plot structure of season 1 of Code Lyoko and is chronologically the second arc this season. (**If you are new to the series, EP 1 is where to start**) This is to cycle the series back to its roots and repeat the magic that made people love it in the first place. It also makes it easier to draw in new fans. Not only will this make old viewers remember what hooked them into Code Lyoko, but repair the damage done by Evolution a bit. By "repeating the main plot of season 1", I don't mean rebooting the story. I mean "ordinary people enter a video game to save the world and materialize the virtual waifu girl." Along with original characters, this arc introduces the backstory of the _Code Lyoko_ universe inspired by {but not exactly} the books and hypes up the return of the LW.

The Deckard Incident Arc wraps up the plan the human villains from Evolution season 1 has for the supercomputers and is chronologically the first arc this season. (**If you are caught up to all the episodes of the original series, EP 16 is where to start**) It takes place a couple weeks after the events of _Code Lyoko: Evolution_. But besides villains, there is the matter of character growth for the six members of the main cast, the fate of XANA, and a few other concepts that are either original ideas or taken from the book series. The reason I felt only giving the LW only half a season is there is only so much damage control I can do for Evolution if the same plot is being used. It's better to give the audience some good solid episodes of what they want and then use that as a base to present the LW's story. Half a season might even be too much time for how much left that the season 1 plot has left to develop, but having the first episode of the season wrap up that plot wasn't correct as I've got to correct how the human villains are portrayed. They are currently 3rd rate villains, so half a season gives them time to develop as a threat and truly wrap up the storyline in a satisfying fashion. The goal of this arc is to complete the unfinished season 1 storyline and end it in a satisfying way.

However, rather than have the main characters being missing for a few episodes, I will instead release 1 episode of each arc at the same time. (1 = 16, 2 = 17…) While this may be a bit confusing at first, I believe this will allow me to push out a story that's more enjoyable rather than having to wait until the Carthan 2 arc is done before the Deckard Inc can start. I apologize for the format the script is written in. It is not officially a script yet contains some description more appropriate for a novel. I am simply writing in a way that portrays the emotion, tension, environment, and the action to the greatest effect.

Once again, I was sad to see it fall short of the pace it set in terms of universe building. This has been a story I've thought about for years and I hope even if I don't get to write its conclusion, it will eventually be told.

This is simply to continue a great story that I loved. I hope you enjoy.

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

Episode 1: Let'5 Pl4y: Un3xp3ct3d_+ition (Let's Play: Unexpected Addition)

May 5th, 2016

Jeremie: I can't shut it down.

Anthea: It isn't designed to be shut down from the outside. It can only be done from the virtual world. There's nothing we can do.

Jeremie: We deal with world ending threats every Tuesday. There's always something we can do. [through his earpiece] Odd, get ready to destroy the supercomputer!

Odd: [through earpiece] There's too many specters.

Jeremie: What about the guards around the supercomputer? Can they help?

Odd: They were … um put on break. Permanently. How soon can Aelita deactivate the tower?

Jeremie: We can't reach her. Communications are jammed. Anthea's working on it. [switches to Ulrich] Ulrich, you need to get Aelita to the tower.

Ulrich: She hasn't reached the tower yet?! I can't even get a hit in! There's no way I can even get to the core.

SNAP

Ulrich: Oh, that is a long way down. Look you're going to have to virtualize someone else.

Jeremie: William- [On the screen in front of Jeremie, William's panel, a black avatar, has its Life Point gauge reduced to what looks like zero.] It's gonna have to be Yumi. [switches to Yumi] Yumi, we need you to [gets cut off by gun fire. The line goes dead.]

Anthea: If Aelita can't get there, then we need to materialize her and destroy the supercomputer. That way, we can kill XANA and stop the countdown.

Jeremie: Odd can't even reach the supercomputer! Have you contacted her?

Anthea: NO! I can't find out what's jamming me.

[There is pounding on the door to the control room. The door is dented open and they can see flashes of electricity and bodies flying outside.]

Jeremie: [switches back to Odd] Odd, just charge in. Don't worry about the specters. We … we will have Aelita materialized before then. XANA will be finally dead and the specters will disappear. [no response] Odd. [He can hear screams and electricity crackling in the earpiece] Odd! [switches channel] Yumi!? [switches again] William!?

Anthea: I'm connected. Aelita! Please, just come back.

AAAUUGH!

[Aelita's avatar on the screen greys out and disappears.]

Jeremie and Anthea: Aelita!

Jeremie: No. [His whole body sank as he gazed up on the screen on the far wall, the final seconds ticking away. The reality of the situation was finally clear to him and he had a terrifying realization.] We're...we're not gonna win this one.

[Everything cuts to black. There's only silence.

[beat]

[A wave of energy rolls across the world. Cities are being torn up as electricity bursts from wires, from walls, beneath streets. All vehicles lose power and crash into each other.

A 3D model of databases rapidly collapses and blinks out of existence.

The wave washes over a dark room. Everything is quiet for a second. Then, the gigantic machine inside reactivates, its blue lights and front panel lighting up.]

* * *

September 13th, 2016

4 months after the Deckard Incident

[There is a boy sneaking through the hallways of what looks like a school. He's **wearing black sweatpants and a deep, dark blue hoodie.**

He checks his phone. A 3D blueprint of the school's layout hangs in the center, adjusting with his swipes. Red dots are traveling along it. There is a blue dot in the center for himself. He sees a red dot around the corner he was heading toward. Immediately reverses direction, stops, and blends in with the shadows. A trio of the thugs passes right by him.

Show top down view of hallway. Like it was a map of a giant maze. The boy outmaneuvers all of the other students as he can see them coming.

All while this is going on, the TVs in the hallway, used for announcements and advertising for events, there is a video playing. The scene was being filmed from a phone camera. The current clip was of students circling a lone student and kicking him. Then the video changes to a different scene, at a later time. The same students are breaking and entering.]

* * *

[Inès opens her eyes. Her head is on her desk. She had been sleeping in class. Again.]

[Inès looks up. The TV in front of the room used for announcements now has a video on it. This clip is of the students having what is clearly beer in the school stadium.

The teacher, Mr. Harper, and all the students are stunned by the sudden appearance of the video.]

Rook: WHERE IS HE?!

[Students run by in the hallway. The subjects of the video obviously. Inès puts head back down on desk. Two girls talk in the background.]

Tanya: Huh, just another one of his stunts.

Landry: Does he actually think they will learn anything?

Tanya: Of course not. He just ratted them out. Now they will beat the crap out of him. Simple as that.

[Someone yanks Inès hair back. She topples out of her desk to the floor. She can't see who it is. She flails out and connects with something.]

Mr. Harper: Miss Peiri!

[The teacher and all the students were staring at her. The student behind her that she hit is scowling.]

Student: What the hell?!

Inès: [thinks] Not again. Just find it and get it over with.

[The feeling of someone yanking on her hair is still there. She turns around and looks at the wall behind her. There is a green and red spiral on it. As soon as she spots it, it and the feeling on her hair disappear.]

Mr. Harper: You can-

Inès: [head hung in shame] Leave the room. I know the drill.

* * *

[A girl is sitting on top of a ledge peering out into the distance through her camera. **She's wearing a maroon sweater vest and a black fedora. **She glances toward the woodland nearby. She spots movement. Adjusts zoom and looks in-between branches to see men and women in black suit and ties carrying what looked like metal detectors. She shifts her gaze to the beach of the inlet on the other side of the school. A single black clothed figure waving another instrument around.]

Mabel: Huh, so the intel was right. That's a first. Looks a bit iffy. Probably dangerous… Better drag her into this.

[Swivels around and climbs down the stairs of the tower. Show upper shot of the school. It's strange because it was constructed in medieval castle style. Other similar towers are placed on the other corners. In the middle of the tall walls are square courtyards and lining the top of each wall are ramparts with a healthy amount of room to walk on. She exits the tower onto the rampart to see a larger pack of students lead by Rook.]

Boy 1: He isn't in his room

Boy 2: Ditto in his club room.

Rook: Hainer and Korey are by the gates in case he tries to leave out the front. [They start to leave, but he stops them.] Hey guys [they look at him] He's not going to get away with this. [The other boys nod in agreement]

* * *

[The boy in the hoodie is passing by a window that overlooks the inlet outside. He suddenly clutches his hand up to his ear. An ethereal ringing sound reverberates around him. He glances towards the woodland east of the school.]

?: Weird. There shouldn't be anything electronic out that way.

[He runs into class and shuts the door behind him just as the bell rings. The teacher notices him.]

Mrs. Burdette: Dramatic entrance, Axel. I'm impressed Caroline let you air that.

Axel: So am I. [He flips down his hoodie to show his wavy dark oak brown hair. He had shadows under his eyes.] She said it, it was okay as long as I was ready for the consequences. [He holds up his phone with the map] I think I was.

[As he sits down, another student in **red exercise shorts and a white windbreaker with red stripes** in the seat next to him looks intrigued at him. His shiny, light brown hair is cut low to his scalp and shaped to a low point above his forehead, his locks and bangs dyed blond with the low point dyed orange. Only his roots remain brown.]

?: How did you make it back here? Rook had the entire team running after you.

Axel: I used the signal from people's phones on the Wi-Fi to mark their positions-

?: [interrupts] Hang on, I just realized I don't care.

[Rook looks through the window by the door.]

?: [Sees Rook] You worried?

Axel: He can't get me in here. The teacher would step in.

?: They can if they, I dunno, pulled the fire alarm.

Axel: [genuinely angry] That's cheating. They can't do that.

[The fire alarm goes off.]

[The red boy sitting next to him smirks.]

As the students exit, Axel goes to the teacher.

Axel: I'm pretty sure this is the work of one of the people in the video. Could you make sure nothing bad happens.

Mrs. Burdette: Caroline said you had to be ready for the consequences. Sorry.

Axel: Crap. [Looks to the boy in the windbreaker] Ethan?

Ethan: Nope. [He runs ahead]

[Axel exits in the hallway into a crowd of advancing students and faculty. He looks around cautiously. An inpatient group passes by Axel, jostling him and giving him glaring looks. While he's watching them, a pair of boys come up from behind Axel, put a hand over his mouth, and drag him back down the hall.]

* * *

[Mabel finds Inès walking with the other students in the halls. Inès is a girl with **black hair and wore a pair of red curved rim glasses**. On the top of her head she is wearing a **plain grey beret**. Her **grey jacket** was tied in a knot around her waist by the sleeves. She had a **long-sleeved dark violet-shirt & torn blue jeans**.]

Mabel: Hey there.

Inès: Why were you out of class?

Mabel: Can you keep a secret?

Inès: …No.

Mabel: Hey. Hey. Yes, you can. I know you can. I need someone to come with me. I got a text from my reliable source-

Inès: [interrupts] Your anonymous conspiracy buddy online.

Mabel: Yes, that's what I said. Texted me in class with a sighting. So, I used the bathroom excuse and checked it out from the top of the south-east tower. Turns out, for once a tip was right. The thing was, there were people with uniforms. Official organization. Need someone to watch my back.

Inès: Sounds dangerous. Look, I just need to be left alone.

Mabel: This will be more fun with me than sulking in your room feeling sorry for yourself. Right now, you need a friend. And I need a friend. We complete one another. [she pauses waiting for Inès's response. When she doesn't answer] Or can go to your therapist again and-

Inès: No please. Let's just get out of here.

[Mabel and Inès climb down the east wall of the school from the ramparts, using loose bricks as footholds. They head down a path into the woodland. They pass a small clearing besides the path with a road leading back to the highway. It was for if anyone would want to come down to the ocean this way.]

Inès: Look, I get what you're trying to do.

Mabel: Oh really. What am I trying to do?

Inès: You want me to be wrapped up with helping you with your adventure that I don't have time to worry about my own problems.

Mabel: And is that a problem?

Inès: No. [smiles softly] Thanks. I just… I need… I want to believe things will get better. [sighs] I just need a break from reality-

Mabel: Shush. [pulls Inès down behind some bushes.]

[Men in black uniforms are walking a searching line waving some kind of antenna around. When one turns, she can see the gun holster against their side.]

Inès: [scared] Mabel, we need to go back now.

Mabel: [whispers] Woah. They're armed. This is big. If they're packing that must mean it's important. What if this related to the Deckard Incident? Makes sense if it's on that level.

Inès: [thinks] _Why can't I ever have normal experiences. Wait, are they even real? I don't see a tell. What if they are real and I get one then? Mabel can't rely on me. We'll be caught and it's all my fault and what's gonna happen to us?_

[A woman leading the group stops and signals everyone to regroup.]

Men in Black 1: We've been combing the woods all morning. [consolation] At least every other team is out here too with us.

Men in Black 2: Of course, field ops gets this. None of management have to touch this.

[The woman who stopped them fake coughs.]

MIB 1: Jackal, you're head of field ops. Doesn't count.

Jackal: What are the readings like?

MIB 1: Signal keeps repeating here. Nothing from the teams downtown comes even close to its accuracy.

[Jackals enters the findings into a phone]

MIB 2: Sounds like her hunch was right. Guess Jäger wins.

Jackal: [Looking up] You'll find out soon enough, she's on her way here.

MIB 2: [surprised, almost scared] She's coming here?! How serious is this?

* * *

[Axel is thrown down on Flint cliff, a rock bluff sticking out of the side of a hill next to the school overlooking the inlet below. A veranda was built into the sides of the building to allow easy access to the cliff. There are two entrances to the lower levels of the school from opposite sides the veranda. The half-wall stops to allow a ramp down to the natural terrain. Rook is in front with the rest of his team crowding the back of the cliff and the open hallway behind him.

Rook takes Axel's backpack from one of the boys behind him. He pulls out Axel's external hard drive.]

Axel: How did you? … [disappointed] of course you broke into my room.

Rook: Go to Caroline now, say that wasn't us on the video and we might go easy on you.

Axel: I'm not going to lie. I was, was trying to help you.

Boy 1: Help us? You put half us in detention!

Boy 2: And we'll be lucky if there is a football team left.

Axel: You broke the rules. That's the punishment. Just because no one caught you doesn't mean you shouldn't be punished.

Rook: Look, if you want to be Mr. perfect, fine! But don't expect us to be and then drag us down to your level. Just tell Caroline you photoshopped the video together.

Axel: Premiere.

Rook: What?

Axel: Photoshop is for pictures, Premiere is for-

[Rook tosses his hard drive off the cliff.]

Axel: [angry] Okay, what the hell. I was showing you what you're doing wrong. How can I bring you down? You, you cheated.

Rook: [confused] Cheated? We forced you out of class.

Axel: You used, misused the fire alarm when there wasn't anything, any emergency.

[The boys behind Rook have second hand embarrassment from how uptight Axel's being. Rook throws Axel's laptop over.]

Axel: [his breath catches] …I was thinking about upgrading.

Rook: [sarcastic] "Congratulations. You followed the did everything you're supposed to. You're a good boy. You're better than everyone else." [normal] Tell me when you start having fun.

[One of the boys brings out his PS4 game console]

Axel: I only got you in trouble because no one else would.

[A football player throws his game console over.]

Axel: [negotiating with himself] Did you hear the PS4 Pro is on sale?

[They take out Axel's desktop computer.

Axel starts to get nervous.]

Rook: You hurt the rep of our team and put my boys in trouble. And when you hurt one of us, you to take on the entire team.

Axel: [genuinely confused] …So you're saying it was smart to change all of you at once?

Rook: Last chance.

[Axel hears the same ringing he heard in the hallway. Distracted, he looks off the cliff to the woodlands off on the inlet's east shore. Rook sees he isn't paying attention.

Rook throws the computer over the edge.

Axel is shocked. He doesn't have anything to say.]

Rook: Really, after all that? I thought the previous "number one" would have actually put up a fight. Come on! Throw a punch. Scissor kick me. I saw you do it in gym once…No?

[Axel takes a deep breath to compose himself]

Rook: [Turns to the boys next to him.] Well, he's not going to change his mind. Do what you want. He's trapped.

[Axel pivots on his foot and dives off the cliff into the inlet below. Rook and the other boys rush to the edge. They see Axel's splash subside.]

* * *

[The SUV pulls off the highway to the clearing in the woodland. The same one Inès and Mabel passed earlier. The jet-black paint matches the uniforms of the people inside. Jackal comes running up to the vehicle, her agents close behind.]

[Two men step out of the back of the vehicle. **Lone Elite**, has **long black hair with mutton chop sideburns****with a cleft chin**, and **Jäger**, a **huge muscular man and low crew cut**.]

Jackal: Head of field operations, reporting.

Jäger: [straight to business] Has the signal gotten any more precise?

Jackal: Other than the initial appearance at 0800 this morning, the pattern hasn't changed. Unfortunately, we haven't gotten any closer to finding it. We keep on circling this same area.

Lone Elite: But that has to mean something here will help us get closer.

[The driver, Maggie, gets out and opens the passenger door. Every agent there immediately turns to the vehicle. Out steps a woman with platinum blond hair. While she wore the same sun glasses, black suit, tie and shoes as everyone else, she wore it in a way that made the creases and folds seem razor sharp.]

Jackal: [surprised] She's really here!

Lone Elite: She sent out every agent we have on hand for this, though for her to be out in the field…

[The woman stops in front of them with Maggie politely waiting at her side.]

The Boss: [tilts down sunglasses] Is the investigation at a standstill?

Jackal: [meek] Yes Ma'am. Unless there is a further development in the signal decryption, we won't be able to locate the lab.

Jäger: Jackal, we were updated on the way here that the encryption being beyond what our servers can deal with in such a short time. Until the decryption is complete, we are unable to know if this is the right location or if it is simply a reception point.

Jackal: Ma'am, if I might ask, what brings you to this location specifically? It's not even the highest potential to be the lab location. More likely to be a decoy.

[The Boss starts to walk away, the others are expected to keep pace with her.]

The Boss: If you are sending a signal, you expect someone to receive it. You said this location had the most constant radius. Whoever they are, they want someone to get it and the others are just meant to divert our manpower.

[The Boss points between the tree line where part of the city landscape below can be seen. She sees sections of the city still dark and vacant from the damage, buildings in disarray and under repairs, like stains on their city.]

The Boss: [beyond the definition of serious] Not again, never again, under any circumstances will we allow a repeat of the Deckard Incident. We are to give everything, use everything, and consider everything to find and neutralize the threat.

Jackal: [to Jäger and Lone Elite] She must be pretty serious about this if she brought you two along. [to The Boss] Are you sure you want to be in the field ma'am? I can easily report the findings to you.

The Boss: I've waited 16 years for this. I am ensuring that nothing goes wrong. Also, … I've got a feeling about this place.

Jackal: A feeling?

Lone Elite: You heard her; she's not letting this one go.

* * *

[Axel is on the shore of the inlet. He finishes wringing out his clothes and repositions the sleeves on his sweatshirt. He starts back to campus, when the same ethereal ringing from the cliff is heard.]

Axel: [talking to the noise] You again? I lost my backup of all my work thanks to you.

[Axel turns east. Turns once to look at the school at the top of the cliff before he plunges into the woodland.]

Axel: [considering the situation] But I can't go back until they quiet down. New quest: Investigate mysterious noise. Reward: Alleviate boredom. Plus, maybe I'll find some loot.

[Axel is thinking as he's walking through the woodland.]

Axel: [thinking] _If they don't follow the rules, how are they supposed to learn. If they don't learn and get better, how are they supposed to succeed. It doesn't matter if they actually are good inside. They should make the effort. I did. I made it to the top. And if she hadn't… It's so unfair. Everything is unfair for me._

[Axel walks for a while longer. It's getting late in the day.]

Axel: [thinking] _Why didn't they see what I was doing for them? If someone told me what I was doing wrong, I would listen. But they only saw it as slander. Principal Caroline agreed to let me post it. I'm not in the wrong. SO WHY AM I TREATED LIKE THE BAD GUY?! WHY DO I GET PUNISHED INSTEAD OF A REWARD? IT'S UNFAIR! …You really can't trust reality._

[Axel reaches the edge of the woodland. Exiting the tree line, he enters an abandoned warehouse district on the edge of the waterfront in another inlet. A solidly built manufacturing building that was connected to surround buildings by covered bridges, gangways and conveyor belts that tools and supplies once traveled on. The inlet curved so the buildings couldn't be seen from the mouth to open sea.]

Axel: [to himself] Very overgrown. Impossible to find unless you knew it was here. What if someone is leading me here?

[He circles the building once to confirm that the building was the source. He takes 1 step toward the nearest door and then hesitates.]

Axel: Oh look at this. An old abandoned facility with a weird signal emanating from it has been abandoned for how many years. The second I go in here, something probably... most definitely will attack me.

[He enters anyway. Axel explores the interior. He sees shelves of old parts, boxes, rusted machines. There were pipes are stored in the rafters above his head. He walked past a break room of some kind only to have the sound grow weaker. He enters and investigates. Uses phone for light. He keeps on following the ringing until he hits the back wall. He pushes on it and finds it rotates. He shoves it open. Axel finds a locked door hidden behind it. He listened intently until he notices a keypad next to it. He sees a password is needed. As soon as he's near enough to touch the keypad, the noise changes. He hears variations in the ringing.]

Axel: Morse code.

[He types the translated ringing into the keypad.]

A…N…N…E…X.

[He enters the code into the door and the heavy tumblers slide open. He pulls open the heavy metal door and he enters. Inside he looks around in amazement. The room is cylindrical with a circular space in the center lowered down. Another circular space offset and lowered out of that formed a third ring level. In total, there was 3 ring levels counting the one he was one. Each level is connected by 4 sets of stairs set equally around the room. On the top level, there was 4 receded spaces that bit into the wall, forming 4 alcoves. There were 3 on the side of the room he was in, all narrowly spaced apart. He had entered from the center one which seemed desolated enough, but the ones on either side were packed with desks mounted gigantic old computers. Paper print outs of data are spilling off the desks. On the other side of the room was a space so receded that it was almost a tunnel. But it was packed with crates and machinery so tightly and randomly, that it did not seem like a storage space. It looked like a hallway someone had desperately tried to block off.

The final and strangest thing on the top level was a device like a set of stairs that could rotate around the room on a ring set in the floor so that anyone around the room could easily get on, but no matter where the base of the stairs was positioned, it leads to the same elevated disc platform high in the center of the room. On the elevated platform was a command station outfitted with several monitors that surrounded the user's vision from above and on both sides and a reclining chair in front of a keyboard.

The second level was simply fitted with many desks, all with the same model of bulky outdated cathode ray tube computer. While some had the same papers and data sheets scattered everywhere, others had mechanical projects with wires, gear boxes, and complicated batteries all fused together.

But the third and lowest level was the strangest. In the center forming an equilateral triangle were 3 giant cylinders, each at least double as wide as an adult and 10 feet tall.

As he absorbed all this, only one thought entered his mind.]

Axel: Perfect. Gaming. Setup.

[Axel immediately turns around]

Axel: Huh, this is usually the part where the mysterious owner of a place comes up behind the explorer and knocks him out.

[He spots the terminal at the top of the stairs.

His eyes dart around the room, then satisfied, he shrugs and walks up the set of stairs. He stops at the top just before he steps on the terminal platform. Below the cage of monitors and screens was a normal QWERTY keyboard and a swivel chair mounted in the disc platform. He's hesitant to step onto the platform.]

Axel: I better investigate more before I go up there. I'll definitely trigger a cutscene when I do.

[The sound is still there, except now it was beneath him. He needed to go lower. He looks around. The only other way out of the room besides the way he entered was a single metal door in the alcove adjacent and to the left to the one with the door he entered from. He tried it and found himself in a hallway stretching on into darkness.

After walking a couple yards, he finds a wide opening in the wall. The hallway transitioned into a balcony that looked over into giant square shaft. On the right side it had a staircase that wound around the edge and down as it spiraled along the walls. He peered over. The shaft went down for several stories. He swayed back nervously.

But one other thing was there. A gigantic motor from which chains snaked through to the center of the shaft below. After a while they disappeared into darkness. He walked all the way down. He lost count of the number of stories, but the noise kept getting louder and louder in his ears.

Nearing the bottom, he found what the chains connected too. A lift cage for bringing supplies and heavy machinery down the shaft. On the other side of the room, was a pair of sliding mechanically locked doors. They were open a crack. The doors opening mechanics was another complicated password device. His job was easier this time. Someone had already ripped out the guts of the panel and jury rigged it with a simple push button to open and close the doors. He tests it.

Nothing happens.

He looks into the room. The layer of dust his light was refracting off of meant no one had been in there in a long time. He squeezes through the crack in the doors. He accidently touches a panel where wires are just are barely apart. His pressure on the door makes the circuit connect. The doors shutter into motion. The door jolts shut. He just barely squeezes the rest of his body through.

Axel: [frustrated] Of course. [kick] It. [kick] Had to be so [Kick] Stupid Murphy's law.

[He tries door controls to see if the Annex password would work again. He doesn't even get to try. The pass lock on this side didn't have power. He tries moving the doors by hand. They don't budge.

Looks at his phone. No signal.

He shines his light over into the rest of the room.

[Then Axel sees it. A huge machine covered with liquid cooling tubes, but they were 5 times the size in any computer or server he had even seen. It resembled a cylinder, but its shape was distorted by pieces and circuit boards sticking out every which way. And right at its base, was a cylindrical podium with a simple hand outline on a disc at the top. The noise he had been hearing was definitely coming from this computer.]

Axel: What do you think it is Axel? Well, I would say its computer of some kind Axel. That's very fascinating Axel. Say Axel why are you talking to yourself. Oh, it probably has something to do with being trapped in an underground room in an isolated building that I told no one I was going to. So, it's probably a coping mechanism to avoid hysterical laughter. Oh, well that makes sense. [turns around] SERIOUSLY? NOTHING IS CREEPING UP ON ME?

[He takes a deep breath and calms down.

He turns back to the machine.] Whatever this thing is, it has power.

[When he approached the computer and the podium, the noise was at an even higher pitch and volume. Then the noise suddenly changed. It was at a calm volume, like speaking level. And it was not just a ringing sound, but a series of tones at different intervals. 3 short 3 long 3 short. He stops in place.]

Axel: [thinking] _S.O.S. This is getting interesting._ _And creepy._

Axel: Only thing to interact with. Either I stay stuck in here or turn this thing on. [hesitates] I'm going to regret this in 5 minutes. No alternative. Ehhhhhh screw it.

[The machine bursts to life. Strange glowing hieroglyphs start scrolling across the surface of the machine and the whirl of thousands of motors and circuits hit him. And layered over the normal noises was a symphony of high tones, the S.O.S. either turned off or lost in the song made by the supercomputer. The camera angle shifts to show that Axel's hand is on the hand outline, now presses down and rotated 90 degrees.

He immediately turns around and looks around.]

Axel: Seriously, no secret agent is sneaking up behind me ready to knock me out because I found some secret military property? Weird. Universe, I expected better pacing from you. [complaining to no one but the world that nothing threatening is happening.]

[In the virtual world, a giant sphere forms from the blue depths of a sea. And inside that, a giant bright azure planet appears inside a dark sapphire void. Metal structures appear from the planet's penumbra and begin to start orbiting around it.

The camera pans away through doors and zooms down hallways and over platforms. It dives down toward the glowing blue planet. Up close, it is possible to see the surface of the planet is really just glowing metal plates. The camera levels out and shows a plateau just above the planet's glowing surface with a white tower covered with a blue aura around it. The aura turns red.]

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	2. EP 1: Unexpected Addition B

To the readers

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Cut to computer lab in the school. Rows of monitors next to desktop computers. All the screens suddenly turn on and a symbol appears on all of them. A red eye made of two circles and a dot in the center. From the outer circle, a lines radiated outward acting as the eye's lashes. One long one from the top and 3 short from the bottom. Then the screens shatter and the plasma pours out and piles up in one spot to form a humanoid figure. Its torso was a made of a dark blue metal with a dish in the top. It supported a floating egg-shaped head. Its face was composed of a strange second symbol, a blue circle with two arcs on either side, forming a kind of sideways eye. It had a single dot in the center. When the creature looked around, its head bobs up and down and the dot in the center of the symbol moved, giving the impression its face was one giant eye. It's had pointed shoulder armor, metal along outside of its legs, and feet all made of the dark blue metal as well. The rest of its arms and legs were made of bright flickering blue plasma. Its arms ended as the flickering blue plasma elongated into thick fingers. On the back of its hands it has the same blue eye symbol. It turns to look out the window at the soccer fields below.]

* * *

[On the soccer fields]

Korey: He's not gonna make all three.

Hainer: And because you said that, he's going to do it just to spite you.

[Ethan is preparing to kick a soccer ball through some football targets on stands, a second ball against a series of cones and a third against a suspended hoop in the air above a soccer goal with a chute into the goal if the ball falls straight down.

Ethan bounces 1 ball on knee, hits it up high, scoops up a second with his toe, and hits the last upward with his heel. He kicks three times in a row: the first kick, flips and hits second, lands, jumps and flip kicks the third. The first bounces off football drill dummies (noticeably in the head), the second blasts through all the cones, & the third goes through basketball hoop.

Ethan: Trip [first ball hits the goal] da [second ball hits the goal] KILL! [third ball slams into the goal]

Coach Zama: Mr. Townley! Glad you could come to practice for once.

Ethan: Not my name. Say it right. I just came here for the easy extra credit.

Coach Zama: No such thing. Come on and join everyone else.

[Ethan glares at the other two.]

Hainer: Coach said it was the only way to get you to practice.

Zama: [commanding] Townley. You ready to run some drills?

Ethan: Drills? I win every game by myself.

Zama: And that would be great if you would come to games AND practices. And since last I checked, you were ranked near the bottom of the board. So, if you don't want to fail…

Ethan: Fine. [menacing. Turns to look at the other two boys.] But everyone has to take a turn at goalie today.

Korey & Hainer: Uh oh.

* * *

[Jackal puts a hand to her earpiece.]

Jackal: We've got something.

Lone Elite: The signal became more focused?

Jackal: No, not at all. We've picked up an activated tower.

The Boss: [Turns to her assistant] Maggie, get our servers to track its location on the network. Jackal can you use the tower encryption to decode the signal?

Jackal: Yes. Clearing up the signal, getting its direction and distance and it's … not even within our search area.

Lone Elite: [groans] So we wasted our entire mourning on a decoy signal.

The Boss: Everyone move out.

[Off in another part of the woodland, Inès and Mabel see the MIB move out.]

Mabel: They're moving. And there's more of them than before.

Inès: [nervous] The people with guns are all moving to one place. And you want to follow them?

Mabel: Don't you want to know what the Men in Black are all looking for?

Inès: No, if we follow them, they're gonna find us.

Mabel: What's the worst they could do?

Inès: Shoot us, lock us up, wipe our memories with neutralizers.

Mabel: Exactly, nothing we're afraid of.

Inès: You're not even listening to me.

Mabel: Moving out. [grabs Inès's hand and leads her along.]

* * *

[The supercomputer door reopens. Axel walks back upstairs to the terminal. The circular platform is now lit up and the staircase that rotates around the topmost ring of the room is now steadily making rotations around the room. Axel jumps on and makes his way up. When he reaches the top, he sees the computer is turned on now.]

Axel looks at the terminal. A login box is in the only thing on the screen. He tries the "Annex" password for redundancy's sake. It fails.

Axel: Password? I don't need a password.

[He hooks his phone into a USB jack. The computer password is cracked and he has access.] Really? Immediately?... Okay. Weird that a place like this has such light security.

[A chat window appears on the main screen]

"_Who's there?"_

Axel approaches the keyboard.

[Axel types] _"I'm... _[thinks "_Not my real name_"] _Sherlock. Who are you?"_

"_I don't know."_

Axel: [out loud] Amnesiac. Cliché and not helpful.

"_What is this place?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_What do you know?"_

"_That I woke up two minutes ago when you turned on the supercomputer."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because the world only started to exist when you turned it on, Duh."_

[Axel is interested.]

"_You don't mean Earth, do you?"_

"_What's an earth?"_

"_Where I am. Where are you?"_

"_The supercomputer. Here, The…"_

"_Annex."_

"_Right. The Annex. It's a world inside the supercomputer."_

Axel: [Rambling to himself] I.n.t.e.r.e.s.t.i.n.g. No way. How could this. Now of all. A VR world just sitting here. Now it just lands on my lap.

Axel: [types] _"Is the Annex have mod capability? What kind of engine is built from?"_ [looks around at the lab around him.] _"When was it built? How big is it? What systems are in place? Is this the only access point? Am I the only one with access?"_

"_I don't know any specifics, but I know you won't have it all to yourself for much longer."_

[Axel looks worried] _"Why?"_

* * *

[The MIB find the facility. They emerge from the woodland father down the coast than Axel did; near the mouth of the inlet.]

The Boss: [To her lieutenants] Spread out and secure all entrances. [Jackal, Lone Elite, and Jäger nod and spread out in different directions]

[Inès and Mabel see an entrance with MIB agents inspecting it.]

Inès: [relieved] Well, there's no way we're getting in there.

Mabel: We can and so we shall.

Inès: Even if we do the "throw a thing, run the other direction" they would always have someone on the entrance.

[Mabel looks up at a chute connecting two buildings on the second floor.]

Mabel: why would we ever use the front door when a more fun route is available. Do the thing. That's why I brought you along. For your [jazz hands] skills.

Inès: I don't even have any equipment.

[Mabel hands her a deck of playing cards instantly.]

Inès: What if I Austin Power's it and we get caught?

Mabel: You're not gonna Austin Powers it. Now do the thing.

[Inès winds up, then whips out her arm. The card she threw hits some scrap metal against the side of the building. A patrolling guard turns to investigate the noise. Mabel and Inès parkour up the side of a building. Mabel provides a springboard to have Inès flip up onto the roof, then she pulls Mabel up.]

Mabel: See. Have more confidence in yourself.

* * *

"_Something here was sent to your world. It's nearby."_

Axel: What?

[Just then, he hears a faint noise. There is running coming from hallway, the pounding of feet on the ground. A second later, sparks from a cutting torch seep through the locked door.]

Axel: [types] _"I need a way out."_

"_You could always come here."_

"_Clarify. You mean physically travel to another world?"_

"_Yes. Look for a cabin or closed box nearby."_

Axel: [talking to himself. Deliberating] Can I trust them? Probably not. What about, about what's outside. Even less.

[The scanner on the lowest part of the room powers on.]

Axel: Would have preferred a test subject first, but...

[He walks down to the center circle of the room with the 3 columns. One split open as twin sliding panels rotated around the column revealing its hollow center. He enters it and the doors slide behind him.]

[Text appears on the screen.]

"_Transfer, scanner…"_

* * *

[Mabel and Inès are walking through a hallway of the warehouse. Mabel is looking at the boxes on the shelves & taking photos with her camera {Not her phone. A digital camera with flash attached.}.]

Mabel: What were they doing here? I've got circuit boards in one box and high temperature detection sensors in another.

Inès: Wow, you really know your stuff.

Mabel: Well actually… [shuts herself up] Yes, yes I do. [walks away revealing the labels on the boxes.]

[Inès looks down one isle and sees a girl with a cracked mirror wall behind her.]

Girl: You were right not to tell us. If you had, we never would have let you in. At least you got to pretend everything was okay, even if one of us would get hurt.

Inès: I I I didn't mean to.

Mabel: Inès, who are you talking to?

Girl: So just enjoy yourself while you deceive everyone.

Inès: Just stop. I'm fine now.

Mabel: [Gets in front of Inès] Inès, it's fine. Find your tell. It's okay.

Girl: This is always going to happen. You're going to hurt her too.

[Inès looks up and finds the red and green spiral on a box. The girl and the cracked mirror disappear from existence. Mabel hugs Inès.]

Mabel: It's okay. This is real.

[Both the girls take a second to relax. Inès calms down a little and smiles a bit. Mabel returns it.]

MIB 1: Freeze.

MIB 2: On the ground.

Inès: [moans] No. Nononooo.

* * *

"_Virtualization_."

[A torrent of air came up from the bottom of the column making his loose brown hair stand up straight and even lifting him off the ground. He shut his eyes as a flash of light appeared. When he landed, and opened his eyes, he saw a virtual world around him. He is standing on a smooth pale blue platform with sharp edges, as if it was constructed entirely out of square shapes. In front of him, the edge dropped off into a dark blue void that was almost black. Floating around him were structures like the one he was standing on. But every structure was orbiting around a bright blue sphere, like a small planet suspended in the void. He could tell things were virtual. The light coming off the blue planet did not quite cast correct shadows on the orbiting structures. He looked down at his shadow in front of him.]

[Something seemed wrong about it. Too big. The shadow moved. But he didn't.]

Axel: Seriously!? This time? [Turns around just in time to see a blue fist. His vision goes black.]

* * *

Coach Zama: Okay, that's a wrap. Points will be written up on all your accounts by the end of the day.

[As the students walk off the field to the locker rooms, an athlete walks slightly closer to Ethan.]

Jordan: Ethan

Ethan: Yeah Jordy.

Jordan: You out?

Ethan: Oh, you have no idea how fast I go through this stuff.

Jordan: I know exactly how fast you go through. That's _why_ we keep this up.

[Jordan walks into the locker room. Ethan is just about to enter when…]

Rook: Townley!

Ethan: Look, either say my full name or don't talk to me Rook. It's Ethan A-

Rook: I need you to call Axel.

Ethan: Why do you want Sherlo- OH RIGHT this morning. [sh!t eating grin.] He owned you guys.

Rook: You going to call him?

Ethan: See here's the problem. Why should I help you?

Rook: If you help us find him and apologize for what you did to us, we'll drop the feud. It's way less than you deserve, but we've got bigger fish to fry at the moment.

Ethan: So, you're finally getting tried of pretending that I've done something to you guys. No apology, though I will call him if you guys quit trying to pull sh!t on me.

Football 1: Just call him.

Ethan: Tell you what, if you promise to not hurt his fingers of thumbs, I'll call him. If he's not there to round out my Warfield team, he's no good to me.

Rook: Deal.

[Cut to Axel's phone ringing on the Annex lab terminal. A gloved hand picks it up. It's Lone Elite. He answers.]

Ethan: Hey Sherlock. I need something. Where you at?

Lone Elite: Who is this?

Ethan: What happened to Sherlock?

Lone Elite: Who is Sherlock?

Ethan: Yeah, if he isn't within 10 feet of his phone, the world is ending. Not telling you sh!t.

[Hangs up]

* * *

Lone Elite: Did you get all that?

Maggie: It's all been recorded.

The Boss: Jäger, Lone Elite. Find out who that was on the other end of the call.

Lone Elite: What are we going to do about them?

Jackal: Do you want us to "take care" of them?

Mabel: What?!

[Inès starts looks like she is about to cry.]

The Boss: [annoyed] Jackal, don't be obscene.

Mabel: Oh thank g—

The Boss: We have the "better solution". Take them away. [Lone Elite leads the two girls away out of the terminal room.] Maggie, have you managed to bypass security?

Maggie: Actually, I didn't even need to. The terminal was set up in advance to be easily accessed and owner of the phone already did it for us. I'll see what I can get.

[The MIB soldiers put the two girls in a storage room, lock the door and put a guard outside.]

Mabel: [caring] Inès.

[Inès doesn't hear her over her crying.]

Mabel: [louder] Inès!

Inès: [sniffles] What?

Mabel: Use your skills to get us an edge.

Inès: I can't.

Mabel: Yes. Yes you can. Your amazing. Think. What did they look like? Any details you noticed? Did you hear anything while we were in that room?

[Inès remembers a bunch of conversations happening in the room during Ethan's phone call. All of them are happening at once and overlapping each other. She focuses on one. It becomes isolated and clearer than the rest.]

Inès: They said something about "the signal increasing". It's something dangerous. They're unhappy, but they found the lab. The call of emotions…

Mabel: You're rambling again. Can you be clearer?

Inès: They found the lab, but they are unhappy. It must mean there is a problem. They said something about "the signal increasing". It's must be something dangerous. There was the call too. Someone they didn't expect got here before us. …And they are scared about that unknown.

Mabel: And all of that meansssss?

Inès: They're keeping us alive because they think we might know something.

Mabel: And when they realize we don't?

[Inès is silent.]

* * *

[Cut to outside to show that its evening time and a couple of hours has passed]

[cut to the Annex]

[Axel is running away from a virtual version of the same blue monster that appeared in reality. The virtual version is much more solid looking, the metal having more of a shine and the plasma interior of its body occasionally crackling and shifting. It ran after him with thundering footsteps. Axel reaches a dead end with nothing but empty space around him. The only other platforms were far in the distance.

[Turning back to show Axel, this is the first view of Axel's virtual avatar. The best way to describe him is a **cyber knight**. His upper torso was covered by a **thick electric blue chest plate**. The front of which was decorated with an azure curved diamond that ended in a point. A **dark black skin suit** underneath that was visible on his upper arms and legs. His lower arms and legs were covered with **gauntlets and greaves**. The **gauntlets were chrome steel with electric blue accents** and his **greaves had alternating electric blue and black metal**. The electric blue design on his lower torso resembled a **grinning face**. His neck was surrounded by the thick top of the chest plate that encircled his shoulders forming a **neck guard**. Under his eyes were two **blue marks that traced under the interior corner of each eye to the other corner, and then down till they came to a hooked point** on his cheeks.

Axel takes a deep breath. He turns around just in time to see the creature's arm turn into a triangle blade. Axel rolls under the slash. The creature charges at him again. Axel steps back from the slash, but the creature lunges out and grabs his arm. It easily lifts him off the ground and throws him toward the edge of the platform. With no room to roll, Axel lands on one foot just before the edge.]

Axel: [freaks out] NO!

[Axel fully regains his balance. He's inches away from the edge.]

Axel: Whew, okay. Not my real body. I thought I was past being this careless.

[The creature swings its sword. Axel instinctively raises his arms in a guard stance. Curved plates shoot out of his gauntlets and cover his hands in a metal spike. The creature's blade is blocked and bounces back.]

[Axel shuffles back. He opens his fists. The plates retract.]

Axel: How did …? [He tests by clenching and unclenching his fist. The pike extends and retracts. He clenches his hand into a fist again and the pike extends.]

Axel: Got it. Impact gauntlets.

[Axel launches a punch on the creature. It punches straight through its torso…

And keeps going.]

[Completely unhurt, the creature brings another attack down on him. Axel narrowly avoids another sword slash, wrenching out his arm from the creature's body and ducking back into another roll. Axel extends pikes on both arms and parries a double strike from the creature. He plays defensive and backs away again.]

Axel: [thinks] _It will just reform from light attacks. I need to finish it off in one hit._

* * *

[Cut to a luxurious office. One floor to ceiling window overlooks the central, and largest, courtyard below. Monitors lined the walls on each side of the door and behind the desk. In the center was a Mahogany desk with the plaque labeled "Principal Caroline" on it.

There were only two chairs in the room. One stretch fabric rolling arm chair that a woman who could only be the principal was using and the other a metal folding chair which Ethan was currently unpleasantly & uncomfortable residing in.

An imposing figure loamed over Ethan. The two MIB heads seemed to half sink in the shadows, as if to get out of her gaze. She is blond with her hair pulled back behind her head in a bun held in place by a complicated braid. The school faculty uniform made her figure even more stiff and unmoving.

[Ethan is in the center of the three of them, looking bored.]

Principal Caroline: Mr. Townley, can you tell these men about your roommate?

Ethan: I can if you say my full name.

Principal Caroline: Just answer the question.

Jäger: This will be over faster if you cooperate.

Ethan: I just live in the same room & make him pick up my stuff.

Lone Elite: [whispers to Jäger] … I like him.

Ethan: [simply] Look, I just want to sit in my room all day and play video games while putting the fear of god in my enemies. You know… Teenage boy stuff.

[Ethan tries to leave.]

[Lone Elite blocks door.]

Lone Elite: We haven't finished talking yet.

Ethan: Well I've finished listening. There is only one thing you need to know. I do whatever it takes to do whatever I want, whenever I want it. And now… I want out.

[The interrogation ends when they hear screams from outside. Jäger and Lone Elite run out into the school's main courtyard to see the golem from the computer lab with its sword raised. It destroys part of the wall to the classrooms.]

Jäger: [To teachers and school staff] Establish a perimeter and begin evacuation procedure. We will handle the … anomaly.

[Jäger takes out his gun and fires at the golem. It raises its non-sword arm, the bullets sinking uselessly into the plasma.]

[Ethan pushes through the crowd. He tries to enter the courtyard. Andrew, one of the staff members at the school, stops him.]

Andrew: You can't go in there.

Ethan: Why not?

Andrew: There is a monster right there!

Ethan: But this is the shortest path to the dorms.

Andrew: It will attack you if you try to go through. You have to stay where its safe.

Ethan: [not considering the threat at all] …But my Xbox is in my room.

[Ethan ignores Andrew and sprints up the stairs onto the ramparts.]

Andrew: Hey!

[Rook is up there, hiding under the railing out of view of the golem. Ethan is sauntering along.]

Rook: Get down.

[Rook grabs Ethan.]

Ethan: Let go!

Rook: If that thing sees you if will kill you.

Ethan: Okay first, you don't know that and B, you grabbing me is causing more attention.

[The MIB ram an armored SUV through the front gate. The agents get out and attempt to open the back doors, trying to get something out. The golem turns its non-sword arm into a cannon, charges up and fires a blast of green plasma at the SUV. The MIB agents see the intensifying green light and run away as the vehicle explodes.]

[The golem turns toward Ethan and Rook who are making a considerable amount of noise.]

Jäger: [sees the boys] GET DOWN!

Ethan: [caring more about being correct than his own safety] See, told you it would notice.

[The golem fires at the boys. Rook kicks Ethan back toward the stairs and launches himself through the air. The blast hits the wall. It explodes and crumbles. Ethan makes it out of the initial blast and lands solid on his feet, but the rampart crumbles beneath him and he slides right down into the courtyard. The golem looms over him.]

* * *

[Axel's spiked punches are bouncing off the golem's shield. The second Axel stops to get his balance, the golem bashes him with the flat of its shield. Axel instinctively leans back and kicks into the shield. Similar to his gauntlet, the bottom portion of the greave chambered down into the metal wall. Axel's leg and by extension, him, went flying back, while the golem only paused for a second. The greave reset itself into its normal position a second later.

Axel walks backward to get some range on the golem while never taking his eyes off it.]

Axel: Mechanical enhancements to help with martial arts. But they have to reset after each attack. [The golem changes its arm into a cannon and begins charging up.] Sok Sab? Kao Tone? No, too tall. Never reach the head. Don't know its base damage, so can't risk getting hit. It could one shot me for all I know. If I'm going to beat it in one attack … better go with Dead Leg Kick. CHAMBER! [He stomps down with his left foot and the greave's chamber sends him flying forward. The green plasma blasts whizzes past and explodes behind him. He lands on his left foot, pushes off with his right.

[The kick acts as a knife though the monster's plasma body. A line separates its cannon arm from its body and slices the golem in two at the waist.]

Axel: [smiles] Game ov

[The golem's blade comes down on Axel's shoulder, slicing into his chest until it hit the chestplate.]

Axel  
LP 100- 75 LP?

[Axel fires his elbow back into the golem's face. It jerks back, wobbles for a moment, and snaps back into the center of its collar, like being drawn by a magnet. The golem's blade slips out and he takes off running.

He dared to look back. The golem had reformed instantly at its chest where his kick had passed through, though it had paused to pick up and reattach its cannon arm, the plasma reforming the arm the instant the metal of the cannon got close enough to the shoulder.

And now it had changed into a blaster with its fingers turning into barrels with the green lasers coming out. It was running after him.]

* * *

[Back in the storage closet the girls are locked in, machines with dusty screens snap on. The screens glow blue, shimmer and then a substance leaks out from all of them, gathering on the floor and rising up into a figure.

Inès hearing a noise, looks around a shelf to investigate. Her head didn't even come up to its shoulders. She tilts her back to look at the monster's giant eyeball like face. Inès looks at it with interest.]

Inès: This one's not so bad. The tell isn't obvious though

[She casually peers around it to try and find the "tell".]

Mabel: Inès, did you find OMG. GET DOWN!

[Mabel tackles Inès saving her from a punch from the golem. The golem turns its hands into blasters and fires a volley of lasers at the girls. Mabel kicks the oblivious Inès to the side and in the same motion rolls back. The golem sweeps the room with its arm and hits Mabel in the shoulder, catapulting her into the shelf which collapses on top of her. The golem stands over Inès who doesn't move, not understanding the situation. It turns its other hand into a sword and prepares to stab down.]

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	3. EP 1: Unexpected Addition C

To the readers

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Just as the golem is about to stab Inès, the door bursts open. The Boss kicks the golem in the chest & it goes sprawling on the floor. The Boss plants her foot on its metal frame just to ensure it won't get back up without a fight.]

The Boss: Get them out of here!

[Jackal & another agent pull the two girls out and shoves them back in the central terminal room. Mabel is back on her feet, but definitely woozy. There is a loud crash and the hallway lights up with laser flashes. The Boss jumps back into the room with a noticeable tear in her pristine uniform. There are sounds of other agents fighting the golem, briefly broken up by a mash up of sci-fi sound effects.]

Jackal: Someone keep an eye on the civilians. [turns to The Boss & whispers] Ma'am I know this is a sensitive topic, but [points to the hallway & whispers] are the Lyoko Warriors in any possible position to help?

The Boss: [gruff] No. We're on our own.

* * *

[Ethan rolls under the Golem's stomp. Jäger and Lone Elite shoot at golem. The bullets do nothing to its plasma body.]

Ethan: [To the two agents] Guys it's a MONSTER! Video Game Rule #2: Find the weak point and hit it til it dies!

[They both fire at its head. One pings off, but it immediately changes its sword to a rectangular blue shield with metal edges and guards its head. It fires its blaster at them. The two dive for cover. Ethan is marveling at the golem.]

Ethan: [The first time he's had an interest in anything the entire episode] [Looks up at the golem with a creepy smile on his face.] [He says as if not understanding it himself.] You…entertain me.

[The golem transfers its blaster to a sword and makes to slash at Ethan. Ethan jumps straight over the blade and kicks the golem's head straight off. It slams and clatters to a halt on the ground next to Jäger.]

Lone Elite: Wow! Nice job kid.

Ethan: The name's Ethan A-

[The golem turns around toward Ethan.]

Ethan: Huh, usually when I kick something's head off it dies.

[The golem spins around and hammers the edge of its shield into Ethan. He goes flying through a window and into one of the rooms on the perimeter of the courtyard.]

* * *

[The golem bursts into the room, launching three MIB agents across the room.]

The Boss: Maggie, can you shut down the tower or at least stop this thing?

Maggie: No, but I did find the voice channels. Hello, is anyone reaching me?

Axel: Who's there?

Maggie: [calm, collective] My name is Maggie. Listen, you need to get out of that world. There is a blue creature here that's attacking us.

Axel: Ignore the body, aim for the head. Sweep the limbs aside.

[All the MIB unload a collective metric absurdity of bullets at its head. It raises its shield arms to block. The second the fire ceases, The Boss jumps down from the rotating staircase & kicks downward at its arms severing them off. The shields hit the ground with a heavy thud.

The Boss: Aim, FIRE!

[All the MIB aim exactly at its egg head. Every MIB empties their clips…

And it does nothing by dent its face.]

Jackal: [adds after the fact] Supernatural monster. Guns and projectiles are probably useless. Go figure.

[The golem retrieves its hands and transforms them into blasters again. It sweeps the room with plasma projectiles. Everyone takes cover behind the desks.]

The Boss: You two stay here. Jackal, hold down this position, protect Maggie, & make sure they don't touch anything. Everyone else, come with me with a full mag. We need to get this thing out of the room to let Maggie work.

[The MIB agents charge the golem with a makeshift barricade of a desk, forcing it back out the hole they made in the metal door when they broke in. The golem's arms are waving around trying to get a shot in. It lands a lucky shot on Maggie in the terminal seat up on the raised platform. She slumps over. After the other agents push the golem out of the room, Jackal notices and goes to check on her.]

Jackal: [concerned] Oh. Listen you two. I'm going to explain as much as I can without getting fired for revealing national secrets. If we are going to make that monster go away, we need her [points to Maggie] up and on that keyboard. I need to go get adrenaline and first aid. Do. Not. TOUCH ANYTHING IN HERE! [starts running down the stairs and out the door.]

Inès: Mabel. I can't find a tell.

Mabel: Inès this is actually happening. I saw it too.

[Inès starts feeling weird. She sees multiple golems appear in her vision. They all attack her.]

Mabel: Inès, it's okay.

[Inès falls over and just curls up on the floor.]

Inès: STOP IT! Mabel help me.

Mabel: Just find the tell. You're going to be okay. Just … [just collapses against one of the desks in pure submission as she can only look at Inès in pain on the floor.] Damn. WHAT is going ON today?!

[Inès is just quivering and curled up in a defensive position on the floor.]

* * *

[Axel jumps to a new plateau orbiting the planet. The golem jumps down after him.]

Axel: Got to catch it in mid-jump animation.

[Axel turns around and tries to punch it as it lands, the spike extended toward its head.]

[The golem slams its blaster into his chest. A spray of lasers flies into his chest stopping him in his tracks & send him back. He took 2 before he was out of range.]

Axel  
LP: 75 - 65

SYSTEM ALERT  
LP has dropped below 70%. Switch to phase 2.

Axel: Wait? What!?

[A halberd, long stick with axe head on both ends, appears in Axel's hands.]

Axel: [Startled. Frustrated] I don't …don't know how to use this!

* * *

Mabel: Come on Inès, you have to help yourself.

"_I can help her."_

[A female voice emanates from the computer speakers.]

Mabel: Who are you?

"_Why does everyone keep asking questions I don't know the answer to? Look, Sherlock said his problems went away when he was virtualized, so I think the same will happen to her. Something about it not being his real body."_

Mabel: Um, okay. If it will help her. What do I need to do?

"_Just put her in the scanner below. I can do everything else."_

* * *

[Axel tries a spinning slash with his new weapon. The golem deflects it up with its sword and slashes Axel's leg, spitting out sparks. Axel goes down hard and the halberd slips from his grip. It hits the ground edge first and sticks up straight into the air.]

Axel  
LP: 65-40

Axel: Why did you have to go for the leg. [flashback of pain]

[Axel tries to get up. The golem puts its foot down on his back and aims its cannon at his face.]

* * *

[Inès is in the scanner.]

"_Transfer, sca "_

Mabel: JUST DO THE THING ALREADY!

[Inès floats up in the scanner and there is a flash of light.]

[A figure lands behind the golem.]

[She opened her sleepy eyes to see the golem and Axel. Both of them turn to look at her. She looks down at her hands and examines herself.]

[The girl has a **velvet, long sleeved jacket** on that surrounds her head in a high collar. Around her **waist **was tied another **purple jacket**. Her **sleeves ended in draping cuffs**. She was wearing **orange pants** that were rolled up around her ankles to allow strange **metal braces to be strapped to her legs**. On her head, was a striped **orange beret** with **red hair** spilling out from the edges. **Orange streak highlights under her eyes** that end in a downward point.]

Mabel: Inès, you good?

Inès?: I don't know why, but [she smiles for the first time] I feel better than ever. [looks over at Axel] Oh, you're about to be _killed_, aren't you?

[Inès? takes orange cards from her sleeves and flicks them at the golem. They explode against its back, deforming its shape and blasting it backward off of Axel. Axel gets up.]

Axel: Hey beret girl! I can kill this thing, but I need you to distract it.

Inès?: How? I saw the Men in Black outside all firing at it and it did nothing.

Axel: [He focuses] This place runs on rules. The golem only seems powerful because it has such a critical weakness it has to protect. [flashback to all the times it covered its head] I'm fairly certain the only way to actually hurt its head is something from this world. [flashback to when he elbowed it in the head] Anything else is just a nuisance. Can you distract it long enough for me to get used to my weapon?

Inès?: But of course.

[The golem gets back up, fully reformed. Axel yanks his halberd free. Inès throws her cards at the golem. The golem blows them all apart with blaster fire. Axel jumps to the side of the platform. He aims the weapon at an imaginary target, then swings the weapon once high, then low, then spins it behind his back. He jumps up and slams it down blowing a chunk away from the edge of the platform, the pieces spinning down toward the blue light below.]

[Inès? throws her cards in its face. It blocks with its shield, and slides toward her with a sword for its other hand. Inès? literally dances away and cartwheels to dodge.]

[Axel swinging his weapon with more flow now. He thrusts forward and reverses his grip, and spins around using the motion to slash upward with no pause.]

[The golem finally notices him. It lunges forward to stab him in the back.]

CLANG

[Straight out of his combo, Axel parries it to the side with the shaft of the halberd and uses the same motion to hook the golem's leg with the other axe at the end of his weapon and pulls hard.]

[The golem goes down flat on its back. Axel thrusts at it three times. It blocks all the strikes, now with both of its arms as shields. It slams him backward. Just as he reaches the edge of the platform, he posts with the other end of the weapon to stop his fall.]

Axel: Chamber.

[The halberd's shaft and Axel's greaves extend and slam into the ground propelling him forward. Axel lifts his weapon up to finish it off. The golem switches a shield for a blaster. Three lasers hit Axel.]

Axel  
LP 40-10

SYSTEM ALERT  
LP has dropped below 40%. Switch to phase 3.

Axel: NO! I just got used to this one.

[The golem blocks its face with its shield.]

[The halberd's head unfolds. The blade becomes longer & slides right in between the shield and the golem's face. Axel recognizes the shape.]

[Axel takes a step forward to lean into a swing.]

Axel: REND!

[The blade instantly is through the golem's head and has slices a divot into the metal floor and then out into the air again. Axel has to stop the swing himself before he falls over. The two pieces of its head fall to the ground.]

The golem goes shutters for a second, seems to freeze, then fractures, distorts & explodes into a nebula of red pixels.

[Inès? whistles at the picture of Axel holding a giant scythe framed by the rapidly disappearing red particles.]

Inès?: Nice.

[Axel is shuttering. A huge smile grows on his face.]

[His scythe folds up again and disappears.]

SYSTEM ALERT  
Link core absorbed.

Axel  
LP: 10 -100  
Phase 3 - Phase 1.

Axel: Hey Beret girl… how do you feel here? I mean, you having fun? Terrified? Confusion?

Inès?: Bizarre question, but…I feel [pauses to put it into words] like the real me.

Axel: Couldn't have put it better myself. Finally. A world where things are fair.

[Just then, more golems spawn in. They drop down onto the plateau the two are on.]

Axel: [nervous] We we oh,need to go.

Inès?: Do you have somewhere in mind?

"You can come here."

[A voice rings down from the sky.]

Axel: [puts a hand to his ear] And where is that?

[Pan around the blue planet. Down on another plateau, there is another tower. This one has a blue aura. The camera pans inside. Shows a girl with long white hair. Her avatar is tattered & broken.]

"Someplace safe. And [She smiles and looks at something on a rectangular floating screen in front of her] And…I have something that can fix all of your problems."

[The screen in front of her holds two words. Code Lyoko.]

[Opening Theme plays]

Episode 1 end.


	4. EP 2: A New Fight A

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

Episode 2: Let'5 Pl4y: A_[N3w]_F1ght (Let's Play: A New Fight)

Narrator: 5 months ago, the Deckard Incident destroyed cities around the world. No one knows what caused it. A group of heroes tried to stop it but failed.

To prevent it from happening again, the Men in Black tracked down a laboratory containing a supercomputer that was reactivated by the effects of the Incident. But they weren't the only ones. A student, Axel, who was distraught after the incident, found the supercomputer, called the Annex, and powered it on fully. This ended up releasing a monster from the virtual world within. He and another student, Inès, entered the virtual world. After surviving the unexplained world and figuring out things work there, they succeeded in killing the golem.

In other words, they beat the tutorial. Let's see how they do with the main game.

[show them surrounded by golems]

Yep, that's about right.

[Opening Theme plays]

[More monsters appear behind the golems. This one looks like a **cloud of electricity** around a **sphere with the monster's weak point** in the center. The weak point looks like a circle with a dot in the middle with a chunk of the top and bottom of the circle missing.]

Axel: [stammers] I just just punch and kick now. You have to take care of them.

Inès?: So you want backup? Sure, why not. I'll lend you a hand.

[Axel charges through the golems. They swing at him, he parries with his pike gauntlets. One of the sprites shoot a green electric sphere at him. Inès? jumps on Axel's head (to his displeasure), throws a card to prematurely detonate the laser, and flip kicks the sprite down onto the ground. It explodes into red pixels. An opening made, they run to the edge of the platform.

Inès? and Axel get ready to jump to the next platform far below them. The sprite behind them turns orange and dive bombs at them. Axel makes it to the next platform below, but the sprite impacts behind them & explodes. The shockwave catches Inès? putting her off balance just before her jump. She hits the edge of the platform and falls toward the blue planet below.]

Axel: [disbelief] Oh. What just. Dark Magician Girl just died like that.

Mysterious Figure: [voice radiates from above] Nooo? Why would she be dead?

Axel: Explosion damage plus cataclysmic fall damage? She has to have lost all her heath after that.

Mysterious Figure: Why would she be dead from that? You don't die when you lose all your Life Points. You're devirtualized.

Axel: Right, Devirtualized, derezzed, erasure. Whatever you call being wiped from existence.

Mysterious Figure: You stop existing here, but you would be fine wherever you came from.

Axel: But. That's not… [pauses to compose himself and takes a breath.] Elaborate.

Mysterious: Okay, when you take damage, you lose LP. If all of your Life Points are gone, you are sent back to reality and appear in a scanner. The thing that sent you here.

Axel: I don't understand how just sending my mindless body back has to do with being alive.

Mysterious Figure: Erggh. Okay. One step at a time. If you die in the game…

Axel: Got it.

Mysterious Figure: You DON'T die in real life.

[beat]

Axel: … That's not how virtual worlds work.

Mysterious Figure: Well, that's how they work here.

[An electric sphere hits the ground next to him. The sprites descend on him.]

Axel: Where are you?

Mysterious Figure: I'll direct you. Go east and find an elevator platform to take you further out into the orbit.

[He runs over to a elevator platform, a two story platform with ramps to connect the top and bottom. As the elevator ascends, he notices something else descending in front of him. It's a huge dark, smoldering, structure with a circular door set in the front & level with the platform. It jolts, plunges down, and descending toward the surface of the planet. Its surface parts to allow the bunker-like room to pass through the crust of the planet, disappear into its glowing blue mists, and then the metal skin of the planet closes up behind it.

Axel is interested.]

* * *

[Ethan wakes up from being knocked out. He's in a supply closet for gym class. He peers out the window at the fight between Jäger, Lone Elite, and the golem. The golem releases a green blast from its cannon. Ethan sees that the shockwave from the projectile causes its plasma body to quiver and then reform.]

[Ethan sees Coach Zama making a call to the police in the corner.]

Ethan: Coach, I need your balls.

[Without waiting for an answer, he grabs a sack of soccer balls from a wire basket in the corner and vaults out the window.]

* * *

[Jäger is on the ground reaching for his gun. The golem steps on his arm and kicks the gun away. The golem raises its sword. A soccer ball comes flying in and sinks into its body. Ethan jumps out from behind a pillar, rolls under lasers from the golem's blaster and snatches up Jäger's gun. He lands in a crouch and double taps.]

BANG BANG

[The soccer ball explodes outward in a burst of air. The top half collapses off of the golem with a SPLAT. The MIB agents get up.]

Ethan: If you can't kill it, you might as well immobilize it.

Lone Elite: That was amazing kid.

[The golem starts to reform, its upper body flowing back on top of its legs.]

[Jäger puts a hand to his ear.]

Jäger: We have a situation here. A blue creature has appeared. [He switches to talk to Lone Elite] There's another one of these at the target complex. [He switches back to earpiece] What's that?

[cut to the woodland showing another golem traveling through the trees]

Jäger: [Voice over] There is also a third creature spotted in the woodland.

[back to the courtyard]

Jäger: [To Lone Elite] We have confirmed that the head is the only weak point, but our weapons don't seem to be able to harm it. [speaks into earpiece] We were able to temporarily stun the one here by blowing out its body from the inside. Retrieve Airburst Grenade Launchers from headquarters. [to Lone Elite] The situation there won't last much longer. Rinzler ordered Jackal to shut down the supercomputer, but she's encountering resistance. They might not survive until the launchers get here. [looks at Ethan] [to earpiece] We have a temporary stop gap.

[The golem fully reforms, it charges at a side gate to the school and crashes through. It takes off for the woodland.]

Lone Elite: Damn.

Ethan: Well, if nobody else is going to get in my way, I'll just-

Jäger: We need you to come with us.

Ethan: That wasn't actually an offer. I was just being polite. And now you want me to do more work?

Lone Elite: If it makes you feel better, you don't have a choice.

* * *

[Inès? Is falling past platforms, getting closer to the planet below. She flips over to the wall on the side of a floating platform and plants her feet into the metal. The braces on the back of her legs shoot out yellow spikes. Her movement stops the instant the spikes connect. She's attached to the wall with her entire body hanging from her knees. Somehow, her hat stays on.

She looks around while upside down. She spots a glowing red object below on a platform. Inès? pushes off from the wall and retracts her spikes.]

Inès?: [in freefall] Weeeee.

[Inès? Lands on the platform with the spikes extended. Just like before, all her momentum is canceled. Inès? lifts up her legs to look at them.]

Inès?: Hey Mabel.

Mabel: Inès? Is that you?

Inès?: Yeah. Sure. I need you to check my Life Points.

Mabel: Um, [looks at the screens] Yeah, you lost some from that explosion before. You're at 90 out of 100.

Inès?: Nothing from the fall?

Mable: Doesn't look like it.

[Inès? Looks over at the red tower.]

Inès?: I see a giant red glowing candle. Can you check that out?

[From behind the tower, 3 **huge black metal spheres** roll out. They split open to reveal a machine core held together with **red colored biomass**. In the center of the frame was a symbol, different from the one the golems had. This one was **an eye **with a **long line** protruding from the **top** and **3 smaller lInès** from the **bottom**.]

Inès?: [to the monsters] And what are you? Mabel you might want to hurry up. Something else just rolled up. And these ones are weird. [to herself while you perches the side of her face on her hand.] Why do they have a different symbol from the other monsters?

* * *

[The elevator platform slides to a stop. Axel sees the tower on the new platform. This one has a blue aura.]

Mysterious Girl: Okay, there's a trick to getting in. You have to be clear of aggressive thou-

[Axel walks right in.]

Axel: Huh, its bigger on the inside.

[He's inside a tower. A circular platform floating in the middle of space with boxes of code running down the walls. There is no top; the sides just extend up to infinity.]

Mysterious Girl: Hmm. That was easy.

[Axel got a look at her.]

[She had **waist length silver-white hair** and **blue eyes**.

On her forehead, she had an **emerald gem** in the shape of an **oval **with pointed ends like a seed. Her entire face covered in **white scars** where the top texture on her avatar had been damaged, the interior pale blue wireframe glow seeping through. They crisscrossed across her forehead, her cheeks, over her eyes (only the right was undamaged), and up and down her neck.

She wore a **tattered, emerald martial arts gi** with a **neon green liner**. The collar had been torn out, as if something had tried to claw out her throat. The **feathered ends of the sleeves** on the gi barely reached her elbows, but they looked like they must have been much longer originally. She had small bracers around each wrist, but even the ends of those were shattered. Her hands were bare except for the same white scars.

The lower half of the uniform was disconnected from the top. Although the gi should have been one solid piece, it had been damaged so badly that the top ended around her naval and the bottom was maimed. The tail ends of the uniform were only fixed in place by a **wire cable** that wrapped around her waist twice and then was tucked into itself.

Her legs were covered in a tight material made of the same **neon and emerald circuit pattern** as the gi, but the bottoms of the pants had been burned away. Her shoes made out of the same material as the rest of her clothing.]

Mysterious Girl: I would like to introduce myself… But I have no idea who I am. [beat] I have LOTS of questions. First, what is this stuff [tugs on her hair] and why is mine so much longer than the stuff you have on your head.

Axel: [stops her] I have some questions too. [turns to look around the tower] Is there anyone else I should know about?

Mysterious Girl: No one but me. Who else with you besides um "dark magician girl"?

Axel: She's not with me, I'm alone.

Mysterious Girl: [doesn't understand sarcasm] No you're not. I'm here.

Axel: [salty] This is gonna be fun.

[awkward pause]

Mysterious Girl: …Thank you for turning on the supercomputer. Who knows how long I would be here if you hadn't-

Axel: It was mutually beneficial. We've even. You saved me from that faction outside. Speaking of which, what are they doing now? How much control do they have over the supercomputer?

Mysterious Girl: I don't know what they are doing. As soon as someone else tried to access it after you, I cut contact. The only other person I talked with was-

[There is a pop and buzz as someone joins their audio channel]

Mabel: Hey, person who was virtualized earlier. Name. Gimme. Now!

Axel: Don't say-

Mysterious Girl: He's Sherlock.

Mabel: Not a nickname. Actual name.

Axel: [reluctantly] Axel.

Mabel: Any last?

Axel: How do I know I can trust you?

Mabel: Because the person standing next to you saved my friend. Also, [holds up the papers Maggie had] I have the Men in Black's notes.

Mysterious Girl: [points at sky where the voice is coming from.] She's got info. Why don't you cooperate?

Axel: And where are the Men in Black now? Why are you here?

Mabel: The people who swarmed this place as soon as they got some kind of signal. They were guarding this room like a treasure vault. Now they're all off fighting. But there was this "Jackal" woman. She might be back to check on us any minute. I wanted to see what they were up to, but they caught me and my friend Inès and locked us in a storage closet. Where are you now?

Axel: Okay, quick version. I'm inside a virtual world. There are monsters here to fight and the world doesn't obey the laws of physics. [turns to the girl] Did I get all that right?

Mysterious Girl: As far as I can tell. I've been in existence for all of 20 minutes!

Axel: Why are they fighting?

Mabel: Blue monster showed up.

Axel: [stammers] Wait?! The golems can go, go to real life through the scanners!?

Mabel: No, they just appeared out of nowhere. Inès found this weird candle looking thing. According to the MIB's notes it's called a "tower". Plus, the notes basically spell out that these things [reads outloud from the notes] "each interact with the physical world using virtual energy" so that's probably what brought the golems to life.

Axel: Did you know about this?

Ai: Actually, that's why I called you here. I think you can use this to stop the monsters. [holds up a screen with the words "Code Lyoko"] It's an ability that can return any system or program to a previous state.

Axel: A factory reset. Even for deleted data?

[She nods.]

Axel: [smiles] Perfect I know just how we can use it. [continues] What's a Lyoko?

Mabel: Huh, it could relate to the Japanese word for "travel", Ryoko-

Axel: Mabel, I know you're trying to contribute, but we don't need crazy talk right now. I need quiet if I'm going to come up with a plan.

Mysterious Girl: We have a plan. Take me down to the tower and I can punch in the code. The golem goes "Bye-Bye". [she starts to leave]

Axel: Hold it.

Mysterious Girl: But there are people in danger. We have to move fast.

Axel: The _MIB_ are in danger. We have to move carefully. If the golem disappears, the MIB will just come and capture all of us. So how can we get rid of them _and _the golem?

Mysterious Girl: I … I, we can…

Axel: [To Mabel] If they locked you two up, they must not want anyone to know about the lab. We have to get rid of them somehow. [thinking out loud to himself] Maybe the golem can do that for us.

Mysterious Girl: We can't leave them to mercy of the monster.

Axel: I don't think they have mercy.

Mabel: Neither do the MIB.

Mysterious Girl: Everyone should be saved.

Axel: Then do you have a better idea?

Ai: Well, I do have this. [Shows him a screen]

Axel: [reads the screen. Surprised.] Oh. That might actually work.

* * *

[Jackal is taking cover behind the stairs to the supercomputer on the bottom level. She whirls around the corner to see the same floating electric sparks that Inès? and Axel had run into. They all focus on her and fire tiny spheres of green energy at her while moving. No matter which way Jackal sprinted toward the supercomputer room door, the sparks hit her, knocking her back. A last desperate charge was met with a huge volley that blew her back to the foot of the staircase, her uniform ruined. She reaches for her earpiece.]

Jackal: There is a second type of monsters guarding the supercomputer. I can't deactivate it.

The Boss: [over comms] Fine. Return to guarding Maggie and the prisoners.

Jackal: [as she runs back up the stairs] I was actually on my way to the medical station. Maggie was wounded during the counterattack. Currently unconscious, not life threatening.

The Boss: Who is guarding the prisoners then?

Jackal: Grand total of 0 agents. I know exactly what you're going to say, but you wanted me to do this and if we shut off the supercomputer, then we won't need to wake her up. Should I try to remove the civilian from the virtual world again.

The Boss: Try when you return, but if an opportunity presents itself to shut down or destroy the supercomputer, proceed even if there is anyone still inside the computer.

Jackal: [a little sad] Understood. [She's almost at the top.] Why don't we just get the Lyoko Warriors to deactivate the tower?

The Boss: That isn't an option.

Jackal: If it's the security of the operation you're worried about-

The Boss: As of right now, the situation is classified "Red Tabula Rasa". It's not the security of the operation I'm concerned with. It's not even a question of whether I want to get the Warriors to help us or if they will. They cannot.

Jackal: They've been helping us with deactivating towers for the past few months.

The Boss: [sighs. Makes up her mind.] They haven't been deactivating them. They've been destroying them.

[Jackal is so stunned that she stops in the middle of the hallway]

Jackal: Why?

The Boss: Because Angelo lost Code Lyoko.

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	5. EP 2: A New Fight B

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Ethan, Jäger, and Lone Elite an in the back of a SUV with tinted windows.]

Ethan: Sooo, anything else about the monsters I'm supposed to help kill? Like where the hell they came from?! And I swear if you say something like "classified" I am going to-

Jäger: It's classified.

Lone Elite: Actually, [listening to his earpiece] Rinzler just declared this operation "Red Tabula Rasa". If it helps beat the creatures, I think we should tell him the situation.

Jäger: …So she's really this desperate. Fine then. But I'll tell the story so any non-related details get left out. [giving Lone Elite the stink eye]

Lone Elite: Fine fine.

Jäger: What do you know about the Deckard Incident?

Ethan: That Deckard Inc tried to do something sciency with the internet, it literally blew up in their faces along with everything else with electricity in it. 500 million dead. Almost everything on the internet was erased. Including my save files on the cloud.

Jäger: The truth is that the Deckard Incident went exactly as Deckard Inc. planned.

Ethan: I thought some group of teenage hackers caused it.

Jäger: Although there was outside interference, it was to stop the Incident from happing. The "how" isn't the internet, but through a quantum supercomputer.

Ethan: And if this supercomputer can do all of [gestures out the window at the world] "that", then it created the blob robot I blew up.

Lone Elite: Unless we stop it today, it will keep on sending worse things until the Deckard Incident won't seem like that big of a deal.

Ethan: Oh sh!t, you guys really need me… Wait, "It"?

* * *

[cut to Jackal and The Boss walking through the lab's hallways.]

Jackal: How did she lose it?

The Boss: Would you believe me if I said they didn't tell me?

Jackal: No.

The Boss: Good. Now the Warriors can help us if Maggie gets the location of the virtual world on the network. So go-

[The wall blasts open behind them and the golem steps through, blocking Jackal's path back to the Terminal Room. The Boss immediately opens fire. The bullets ping off its armor or stick and sink in its plasma body. It's forcing Jackal and Rinzler down one of the docks with shots from its blaster aimed at their feet.]

The Boss: Shotgun.

Jackal: [picks up a shotgun from a supply cache the agents had brought with them and throws it to her.] Shotgun.

[The Boss blasts the monster in its egg head, but nothing happens. She aims at its arm. It aims its blaster at her. They both fire. It's arm with the blaster ripples apart and drops to the ground with a sizzle. A few of the bolts hit the boss and she drops the ground stunned.]

Jackal: Ma'am are you alright?

[The Boss gets right back up.]

The Boss: It's manageable.

[Jackal sees the burn holes in Rinzler's suit.]

Jackal: [Not convinced. Caring] If you say so.

[The golem has reattached its arm. The Boss fires off multiple shotgun blasts in succession. The golem pulls out its shield and blocks them all. The golem fires back at them, forcing them to dodge backward and be trapped against the wall.]

[Just then they heard the sound of an engine. A van pulls in through the bay door, swerves, and jolts to a stop. Jäger, Lone Elite, and Ethan get out. Ethan has a bag of soccer balls over his shoulder.]

The Boss: What is a civilian doing here?!

[Ethan kicks a ball into the golem. It sticks into the golem's abdomen. Lone elite blows it up with a rifle. The right half of the golem ends up on the ground in pieces and the left half, still intact, collapses over the dock with its face in the water.]

Lone Elite: That!

Jackal: Jäger, why didn't you just use an airburst launcher?

Jäger: [gruff] Because it blew up the van.

The Boss: How did it blow up an armored SUV?

[The Golem turns its remaining arm into cannon. Lone Elite gestures in its direction.]

Lone Elite: With that!

Jäger: [to the driver of the SUV] Hit it!

[The driver nods and floors it. Just as the golem had collected enough of its body to raise its head, its immediately struck by the fender. It goes flying off the dock into the bay. A cloud of sparks and sizzles go up before the water steams up and then quiets down.

Ethan: [fist pumps] Splatter Kill. [notices something moving behind him and drops to the floor. A ball of green plasma wizzes over him and pierces through the van. The explosion followed a split second later. Ethan looks up at the second golem and grins.] Oh, a new challenger has appeared.

* * *

[The three black spherical robots start charging something across their eye. After 3 seconds, they fire out an energy grid in every direction from their central axis. Inès? rolls to the side to avoid two and has to stop herself just before she hit the third.]

Axel: [comms] Hey Ig,… Iz… Dark Magician Girl. You hear me?

Inès?: Who is that?

Mabel: [holding Axel's phone up to the headset microphone. His voice transfers from the phone to the microphone where Inès can hear it. She pulls it away so she can talk.] I met some friends who can help us. I'm patching them in now.

Axel: [comms] First, what do you have besides the throwing cards?

Inès?: These spike things that come from my feet.

Mysterious Girl: [comms] Okay, so two tools. You have to have at least 1 weapon, so summon it.

Inès?: And how do I-

[The monsters fire. Inès? summons her weapon to block them. She's pushed back several yards and falls over.]

Inès?: Well then.

[It's a **rectangular box **with a **handle on one edge** that has **orange crystal spikes** jetting out the sides. The other end is flat, but the middle there is an **empty circular hole** in the box, the space filled with a **spiral purple energy**.]

Mabel: Something just popped up. [looks at the picture of Inès?'s weapon on the screen.] What is that?

Inès?: A thing. A thing that destroys balls.

Axel: [comms] Next, what's their gimmick? All good video game enemies have a gimmick. The golem we fought before adapted to our attacks. [flashback to Inès? fighting the golem.] After you used your explosive cards on the golem, it started using its shield to block them. What makes this one special?

[Inès? throws a card at the megatank. It closes its shell and the blast harmlessly swirls around it and dissipates.]

Inès?: It has an invincible shell.

Axel: [comms] Great. Just find the opportunity when you know its shell will be open and apply Video Game Rule #2.

Inès?: And that is?

Axel: [comms] Find its weak point and hit it 'til it dies.

Inès?: This [grins]… I can do.

[Inès? charges at the megatank. She runs up and lands on the monster. She kicks out and the orange spikes shoot out of her brace. She lands behind it. The megatank can't turn around. The left half of the shell with the spike can't move, but the other half swivels back and forth as it tried to free itself.

Inès? runs in and tries to slam her weapon on the megatank's eye. It closes up its shell and the remaining two monsters fire two laser grids that destroy Inés?]

* * *

[Axel shuts off the sound to Mabel.]

Axel: And now we know their gimmick. [He sees the look the girl is giving him.] I know you didn't like it, but gathering information is the only way the people who matter get out of this situation safely.

Mysterious Girl: Who are "the ones that matter"?

Axel: Tip. Don't waste time asking questions you already know the answer to. [turns the audio to Mabel back on.] You [points to the girl in the tower with him.], I need to know all the systems you have access to. Girl 2, I need-

Mabel: My name's Mabel.

Axel: Not important right now. Take photos of the notes using my phone and upload them to the computer.

* * *

[Ethan is dodging the golem's plasma bolts. He returns fire with a couple soccer balls, but they all pop before they even get close. Just then Jäger arrives with reinforcements. ]

Jäger: Center line retreat. 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock group up and flank.

[The agents surround the golem & throw random junk at the golem. It does more damage than the bullets. The distraction allows the other MIB leaders to dash out of the battle and take cover.]

Jackal: Who's the striker?

Lone Elite: He's the kid who called earlier. And before you ask, he's as clueless as the girls. What's the situation?

Jackal: We can't shut off the computer, Maggie is down, some kid is mucking around in virtual world, & the Lyoko Warriors won't be here before we're wiped out. But even that isn't a win because apparently Angelo lost Code Lyoko.

Jäger: Of course, that's why they're working with us.

Jackal: Am I the only one who didn't know about Angelo?!

Jäger: Yes, you're field operations. It wasn't necessary.

Jackal: So how did she-

The Boss: We don't know. Einstein only gave us what was necessary.

Lone Elite: And the missing details are nagging at you... Infuriating isn't it.

The Boss: [snaps her vision to him.] What did you just say?

Lone Elite: Nothing. Uh, do we have access to the terminal?

The Boss: What do you have in mind?

Jäger: We don't need to shut off the supercomputer, we just need to kill it.

The Boss: We don't have anybody that can be virtualized.

Jackal: Well actually, we have one.

Jäger: You're not that young.

Jackal: [flustered] I'm not talking about me.

[Everybody looks to Ethan.]

The Boss: Denied.

Lone Elite: If you spend time with him, you'll understand why that's a horrible idea. But one of the girls could work.

Jackal: As long as the Lyoko Warriors aren't here, do we have another choice? The only way to kill it is to be virtualized.

The Boss: I'm not talking about stopping the attack. [the other field leaders look to her.] Don't you two find it suspicious two different, unrelated sets of civilians managed to find their way to this place at the same time.

Jackal: [to Jäger] But you said that they were clueless.

The Boss: But whatever caused them to come here isn't.

Lone Elite: You think it drew them to this place knowing it would throw a wrench into us stopping the attack.

The Boss: If we haven't found this place for 16 years, how would they?

[Their communications beep on.]

MIB 1: Ma'am, a third creature has arrived by the western entrance.

Lone Elite: Looks like the blue bully from the school finally arrived.

The Boss: Elite, you and I will take that one while Jäger holds the other creature here. Jackal, get Maggie up and going no matter what it takes. She needs to get this supercomputer's location on the network and if possible, connect this terminal to our server. But the priority is bringing the Lyoko Warriors here.

* * *

[Mabel has finished carrying Inès up the stairs to the terminal.]

Mabel: Now would be a really good time to wake up. [Looks to the unconscious Maggie.] Not you.

Mysterious Girl: Great. Us. Down to the tower. Now. [remembers] Oh, wait, monsters.

Axel: Mabel, can you see if there is a 3D map of this place?

Mabel: Um [flips through the pages of the notes for a second, then types a few lines on the keyboard.] Here goes nothing. [A map appears on one of the screens] Yay, it actually did something.

Mysterious Girl: Go! [literally pushes Axel out of the tower.]

* * *

[The golem breaks through the line of MIB agents. Jäger and Ethan retreat. Ethan fires one last ball at it, but it easily deflects it with its shield, and it splashes into the water.]

Ethan: [sarcastic] Well we did all-of-nothing to it.

Jackal: Jäger, draw it away from the Terminal Room. If we lose that, it's over. Kid you're with me.

Jäger: Don't do anything stupid.

Ethan: [straightforward] You wanted me to fight a monster made of superheated matter with footballs.

[Jäger glares at Ethan. Ethan rolls his eyes and follows Jackal. Jackal and Ethan run into the office on the far wall. The golem crashes through the wall to the hallway. Jäger starts running in the opposite direction.]

[As soon as they are out of earshot of Jäger and the golem…]

Jackal: Listen, are you any good at murdering things in video games?

Ethan: [dead stop] You genuinely have no idea how right of a person you came to.

Jackal: You're the striker who Lone elite and Jäger went to go see, ah… [checks his profile on her phone.]

Ethan: [smiles with inhuman levels of jubilation] We haven't been introduced. I'm Ethan. Alucard. Townley.

Jackal: …And your real name?

Ethan: [chill to pissed in a second] That is my real name!

Jackal: [finds what she is looking for.] Ah, you changed your name when you entered high school. [mocking] Did someone want to look cool?

Ethan: You enjoy mocking teenagers?

Jackal: Hey, when you deliver undeniable results, nobody minds how you act.

Ethan: [ominous]…I'll remember that.

Jackal: Well keep that in mind for this next part. We need to destroy their source and the thing that controls them.

Ethan: Yep yep yep. Fuzz cheeks and turtle neck told me all about it.

Jackal: Really, they… oh right "Red Tabula Rasa". They … "fuzz cheeks". I'm using that. Anyway, it was damaged in the Deckard Incident. We tracked it here where it probably came to recover. Our "outsourced Einstein" told us that to recover it needs to put its core in a container of some kind to keep it stable.

Ethan: [trying to get a word in] Um, back up a-

Jackal: All you need to do is find that container and break it. It could be anything and any size. It could be a cube, a screen, a tower, an entire room, a giant eye…

[Cut to Axel protecting the Mysterious girl.

He kicks a golem's head off.]

Jackal: [voice over] or another person. [The camera focuses on the girl when Jackal says person. The girl smiles when Axel takes down the golem in their path and the two keep running.]

Ethan: Ahuh. WHAT THE HELL IS "IT"?!

Jackal: You said they told you.

Ethan: They talked about supercomputers and conspiracies, not anything game related. WHAT do you WANT me to KILL?

Jackal: [suddenly serious] Its name is XANA. And if we don't stop it… we're all going to die.

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	6. EP 2: A New Fight C

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Cut to Axel & the mysterious girl maneuvering around monsters with Mabel giving instructions while looking at a map on the screen.]

Mabel: Stop ahead. There's a golem on the left. Now jump to that platform…now. Duck down, 2 sprites above. You're safe to move.

[Inès wakes up. She sees a golem standing over her. It turns toward her.]

[Show from Mabel's perspective. She is just clicking through windows. She sees Inès stir. She gets out of her chair.]

[Inès is surprised. She sees the golem reach toward her. She screams and kicks out into its chest, knocking it off balance and sending it off the platform.]

THUMP

[Inès looks over the edge.]

Inès: Is it dead?

[She sees Mabel on the floor below.]

Inès: [gasps and flinches] … are you okay?

[No response.]

Inès: [shouting] Please. Just say something. HELP! Is there anyone else here?!

* * *

[Axel and the girl see the elevator platform, but there are a ton of sprites and golems patrolling the area. The monsters guarded a structure with two levels of square platforms with various cover on them; ramps connected the two levels.]

Mysterious Girl: That's where we have to go.

Axel: Then we just have to wait for an opening.

[Inès's voice comes in the background.]

_HELP! Is there anyone else here?!_

[The mysterious girl brings up a window with the view from the webcam showing Inès crying.]

Mysterious Girl: [from speakers] What's going on there?

Axel: Can you look at the map and tell us where the enemies are?

Inès: Look, I didn't know it was her. She's hurt. I need someone to help her.

Mysterious Girl: If you put her in the scanner, I can bring her here. It worked well enough for you.

Inès: What are you talking about? Nothing worked for me.

Axel: Virtualization isn't the answer to every problem.

Mysterious Girl: [sass sass] It's worked so far.

Axel: We don't need another person here, we need someone to direct us around the monsters.

* * *

[Show Mabel in the scanner unconscious. Inès runs back up to the terminal.]

Inès: Okay, what do I do now?

Jackal: Down girl.

[Jackal is behind Inès. She turns around just to have Jackal flip her over her shoulder and down the stairs.]

Inès: Owwww.

Ethan: Nice.

[Jackal tries accessing the terminal.]

Jackal: Hello. Anyone listening.

[Axel hears her]

Axel: [to Mysterious Girl] Cut the audio.

[Mysterious girl severs the comms. The audio window shuts down]

Jackal: Damn it! Ethan, do me a favor and make sure she stays put.

[Ethan taps Inès with her foot. She moans, but doesn't move.]

Ethan: Done. [recognizes Inès] Oh hey you're that nutcase.

Jackal: Jackpot. They already have a virtualization set up. Where was I?

Ethan: You wanted me to be discount Shinji Ikairi so I could kill this XANA thing. Well, trying to. And failing. Congratulations.

Jackal: [To Ethan] Get in the scanner.

Ethan: Can I ask a stupid question?

Jackal: Maybe.

Ethan: WHY DO I HAVE TO DO IT?! You have grunts working under you.

Jackal: [through grit teeth. Embarrassed.] Youcantbeanadult.

Ethan: What?

Jackal: You can't be an adult. [Ethan starts laughing] Shut up, I know its cliché. The supercomputer creates an avatar for you based on your subconscious desires. And when you're older, they get pretty … disturbing.

Ethan: How disturbing?

Jackal: Usually not humanoid.

Ethan: Sweet. I'm not doing it.

Jackal: Why now?!

Ethan: Because you want me to.

Jackal: I've got a very good reason for you to do it.

[Pulls out her gun.]

Ethan: Okay, okay.

[She makes sure Ethan steps backward into the scanner.]

Jackal: I am going through this exactly once, so listen up. You are going to step into that chamber. It's going to teleport you to a virtual world where nothing but the monsters that you're been fighting exist.

Ethan: Awesome.

Jackal: Pay attention!

Ethan: [wipes the smile off his face.] What do you want me to kill.

Jackal: Your objective is to destroy XANA. It's a multi-agent system, an A.I. basically, that is trapped here on the Annex. You need to find the physical manifestation of it and destroy it with whatever weapon you spawn with. Anything related to it has an eye symbol on it. You'll know it when you see it. Just kill anything that isn't you.

Ethan: Was already going to do that, but okay. And once I'm done, how do I log out?

Jackal: [smugly grins] Oh you don't. [starts virtualization process that Inès and the Myseterious Girl set up. The scanner starts to close.]

Ethan: Wait, WHAT is this SAO bullsh!t!?

[Ethan is virtualized.]

[It's Time To Party- by Andrew W.K. starts playing]

0:00

[Ethan is virtualized. He appears above the plateau with the elevator platform next to it. Ethan's avatar looks like a super soldier crossed with a soccer player. He is wearing a **red hoodie** with a **white liner**. He kept his brown-**blond-orange** tip **hair** style while his eyes are ringed in **red face paint**. The paint ends in **sharp points **at the **corners of his eyes**. His eyes now had **red irises** with **silted pupils**. Around his neck & shoulders he had **white metal plating** that connected to a **magnetic holster on his back**. His hands are covered with **glossy white armored gloves** with red padding underneath interconnected armor plates. The right glove extended back a bit and has a few **longer plates** on the underside and top of his arm. He was also wearing **red sport shorts** with **white circuit pattern** down the side. His shins were covered by **shin guards** made of the same in same white glossy metal as the gloves except thicker. On his feet, he was wearing **red running shoes.**

He flicks his right hand and the plates along his arm transform into a pistol in his hand. He whips out his pistol and kills a golem with a head shotbefore he hits the ground.]

BANG

0:12

[He gives himself a once over to check out his new outfit before he whirls around and kills another golem with a headshot double tap.]

BANG BANG

0:16

[He dodges to the side to avoid a kamikaze sprite. He shoots twice to kill a golem and uses the recoil to spin around to dodge a nearby golem's swing. On the tail end of the spin, his barrel lines up with its head.]

0:21

BANG

[It's down. He looks up from his near decapitation.

And sees 20 more monsters.

He smiles. Ethan begins a rampage. Pushes a golem's blaster away. Snaps his barrel to golem's head.]

BANG BANG

[Parries a golem's blade to the side, rolls under its arm, gun to the golem's head.]

BANG BANG

[The death explosion blows him backward.]

Ethan  
LP 100 - 95

[Before he hits the ground, he angles himself to face another golem. He lashes out and kicks its head off. His feet touch the ground.]

BANG BANG

[He double taps the head. The golem's head explodes followed by its body.

Ethan spots another golem charging at him. He aims.]

CLICK CLICK

[He eyes the empty gun and then throws the pistol in the golem's face to stun it, slides between its legs, kicks in in the back of the knee, and combos into a second kick that stops a second golem's sword arm. He uses the blade as a stepping stone to backflip kick the second golem's head off, and lets the golem's limp body fall over himself to serve as a shield from the other monsters' attacks. He grabs the limp golem's arm, whirls around and heaves it at the nearest patch of monsters. He nudges the fallen golem's head under his toe and taps it up into the air.]

Ethan: [as he kicks] GOOOOOAL!

[Kicks the head into the pile of monsters.]

BOOOM

0:36

[Ethan spots the headless golem Axel fought before. He reaches for it.]

Ethan: Is there going to be an assassinate prompt?

[Ethan touches the golem. A circuit pattern spreads from Ethan's hands onto the golem. The golem is absorbed into him.]

Ethan: Um, WHAT?!

Ethan  
LP 95 - 100

LEVEL UP  
Due to:  
The realization that you have superpowers.

Unlock:  
Master Rifle

[A new weapon spawns on the magnetic holster on his back. It's a rifle with a **thick white trapezoid casing** above and below the barrel. The barrel itself is **grey chrome**. There are **lilac accents** along the barrel, around the grip, and **lilac design** on the casing. There is a **display on the back** of the upper casing above the trigger that reads "32".

Ethan takes it off his back. His jaw could not be further dropped.]

Ethan: Oh, Helll yes.

0:44

[As he admires the weapon, more sprites and golems spawn.

Without even turning around, he sweeps the gun across three golems approaching from behind with one swift flick of his hand and three pulls of the trigger.]

PRUNG PRUNG PRUNG

Ethan: Trip-da-kill

[Ethan takes out two more golems with headshots.]

PRUNG PRUNG

0:47

[Parries a blaster to the side, its lasers take out another sprite. He quickly executes the golem.]

PRUNG

[He destroys the knee of a golem with a cannon in the middle of charging, causing it to fire to the side into two golems and a sprite, destroying them all.]

Ethan: Trip-da-kill

0:52

[He slides to avoid a cannon blast, jumps side to side to avoid blaster and green spheres. He runs up and jumps off the wall and slams into a golem. He rides it for distance and then jump kicks it into the air and shots its head off mid flip, killing three more sprites in its death explosion.]

Ethan: Trip-da-kill

0:55

[He lets the explosion carry him toward another golem, snatches its head midair and smashes it's head into another golem to kill both.]

0:58

[Ethan laughs manically. He doesn't even care anymore and just having fun.]

Axel: [peaks out from behind cover.] Is that Obelisk!?

[A trio of golems form a wall with their shields. Ethan tries exactly one round on them before he realizes he can't get a shot in between the shields.

He turns to another golem beside him. Dodges under blades and exploding sprite trying to kamikaze into him. He slides causing the sphere attached to the side of his shin guard to detach and roll on the floor. It expands into a glowing red soccer ball.]

Ethan: [looks at the new toy] Well according to video game rules, if it's red and glowing, its gonna explode. [sings in time with the music.] _"It's time to party. Let's party. _[He kicks the ball and it bounces off the wall behind the 3 golems with shields. It lands in the collar of the center one and …]_ Gonna have a party tonight!" _

[Ethan turns away.]

KABOOM

[The three golems explode behind him.]

Ethan: Trip-da-kill

1:30

[Ethan walks away from the explosion. He notices a golem survived. He reaches down and grasps its head.]

Ethan: Integration.

[A circuit pattern spreads across the golem and Ethan absorbs it.

The counter on the rifle goes back from 23to 32.]

Ethan: Gonna need more robots!

[The time since Ethan's virtualization is 1 minute 30 seconds and his total kills are 29.]

Jackal: [gaps at Ethan's kill count in horror] This might be our biggest success… or my worst mistake ever.

[Jäger lumbers through the hallway door. Jackal is trying to revive Maggie.]

Jäger: Every one on my team down. Lost contact with Rinzler and Elite. [takes in the room.] Where is the striker?

Jackal: [taking Maggie's pulse] Not here.

Jäger: [looks at the machine, then back to her.] Why did you virtualize someone? She specifically said-

[Jackal directs Jäger at the screen.]

Jackal: [straight face] He's killed 30 monsters in 90 seconds and he's heading towards XANA's location as we speak.

Jäger: 30! Okay, but why did you-

Jackal: She thought that something was leading those kids here right?

Jäger: And how does that justify you making the situation worse?

Jackal: I'm putting the "unexpected element" into the situation. Something no human or AI would expect.

Jäger: So … you put a savage teenage boy in charge of the most powerful technology on earth because it's the least logical thing to do. [Just accepts the ridiculous situation] …Okay.

* * *

[back on the Annex]

Mysterious Girl: [smiles] Oh good, he destroyed all the monsters.

Axel: [terror] Oh no, he destroyed all the monsters.

Mysterious Girl: [confused] Why's that bad?

Axel: Run.

Girl: What?

Axel: Don't talk. RUN!

[Axel and the girl run for the elevator.]

Jackal: Kid, XANA's moving right behind-

[Ethan notices the movement and whips around and starts firing.]

[A laser hits the girl in the shoulder. Axel pulls her under cover of the roof of the elevator. It starts descending diagonally towards the planet surface after they get on.]

Mysterious Girl: The Men in Black must have materialized him instead of Mabel.

[Axel peers out from their cover by the staircase only for a laser to wizz by as he ducks back.]

[Ethan jumps down from where he was shooting to a plateau on their altitude. He resumes firing. Axel and the girl change to cover behind support pillars at each corner of the platform.]

Axel: Can you do anything?

Ai: I have a creation ability, but that just creates stationary objects.

Axel: He can just repos, reposition. So, you're useless.

Ethan: [To himself] I wonder how BS the physics are. [jumps off the edge. Superhero Lands on the top of the elevator roof.] Yep. Completely ridiculous. Perfect.

[Pan to show Axel waiting behind the ramp to the roof of the elevator for Ethan to come down. He's ready to strike the second he sees Ethan's feet.

Ethan swings down from the roof from the outside and push kicks Axel in the back. Axel goes down. Ethan picks his rifle off his back and unloads at him.]

Axel  
LP 100- 60

SYSTEM ALERT  
LP has dropped below 70%. Switch to phase 2.

[The first four hit, but the last round pings off Axel's armor, giving him a chance to clasps his halberd as it appears in his hand. Axel blocks with that weapon by spinning it deflecting the next shot. Ethan adjusts his aim to hits Axel in the hand where he's holding the halberd.

Axel  
LP 60- 50

[Axel loses his grip and when he tries to grab the weapon as it falls, he stumbles. But he did manage to grab it and launches a thrust. Ethan dodges Axel's thrusts and uses gun fu with his rifle to smack Axel in the face. Ethan brings his rifle up to Axel's face for a headshot. Axel parries the gun away from his face and knocks the weapon out of Ethan's hand, then-

Axel: [as he kicks] Chamber! [his greave slams into the floor, boosting his kick.]

[He kicks Ethan so hard in the side he skids across the floor and slams into the wall. Pan down to show that Ethan blocked the kick with his chrome gauntlets.]

Ethan: [recognition] Sherlock?

Axel: Hi Obelisk.

[Ethan points at Axel's avatar in confusion, then sees how that could be Axel's representation of his subconscious and shrugs in acceptance.]

Ethan: Is this not awesome? It's like a cliché "go to the virtual world" show except the power system isn't complete bullshit.

Axel: [recognizes Ethan's rifle] Is that the-

Ethan: Master rifle that 117 uses? Yep. You?

Axel: Dual ended Halberd. Turns into a scythe when I'm at low health.

Ethan: Nice.

Mysterious girl: Are you going to kill each other or what?

Axel: No he's nicccce…aceptable…tolerable.

[Ethan sees the girl.]

Ethan: Oh look, found XANA. That was fast. [points rifle at her]

Axel: [pushes his arm down] Wait. Who do you think it is?

Ethan: The AI controlling all the monsters. The MIB "convinced me" to come here, find it and kill it. And if I was an AI trying to not be found and killed, I would disguise myself into the cliché waifu princess who everyone wants to protect. Now [re-aims weapon] would you kindly prepare to be blown the F up.

* * *

Jäger: We just lost the last checkpoint. Still no response from Elite's team.

[Two golems enter control room.]

Jackal: I think it's safe to assume we're the last ones.

[The golems take out Jackal. Jäger deflects one sword swing, but the second golem just picks him up and throws him into a desk across the room.

Inès slightly wakes up. The nearest golem sees her move and aims it cannon at her. It's charging up. Almost fully charged.

The boss of the MIB jumps on its back, stabs it with a knife, and uses the handle to yanks its head backward. Its plasma shot sails high and bursts near the ceiling on the far wall.

Her black suit jacket was shot to tatters, her oaklies had one frame shattered, her blue eye full of anger, but surprisingly her tie was still immaculate. She sweeps out the legs of the second golem.

The Boss: [unearthly levels of seriousness] Girl. Get up, get your friend, and run. I'll finish this.

* * *

Axel: Obelisk, [turns to Ethan] It's not a trap. It's not tricking me and it's not the one controlling the monsters. It's helping us stop the monsters. Otherwise, why would it have the monsters attack it?

Ethan: Reverse Psychology. Then who else is controlling them?

Axel: I saw a room. Had "room containing evil" written all over it.

Ethan: So where is it? [lowers his gun]

Axel: I saw it burrow into the planet. We can't get to it. [Ethan re-aims his gun] Let's deactivate the device that sending the golems to real world.

Ethan: How do we do that? Escort little miss plot device here to the heavily guarded fortress doing all the work while all she has to do is touch the magic crystal with her special magical deus ex Machina power to stop the bad guy.

Axel: Don't answer him.

Mysterious Girl: Actually, it's a tower.

Ethan: Okay! [puts his gun to his head. Jokingly] [turns back to Axel with a "I told you so" look on his face.] Sherlock, it's an escort quest NPC. It will find the stupidest way to commit suicide and make sure we're killed with it.

Mysterious Girl: Can I be called something other than it?

Ethan: No, because you're going to die in two seconds.

Axel: Yes. You're an AI, so we'll call you Ai.

Ai: [perks up and smiles] I love it.

Ethan: [back to the subject] I'm not doing something that will get us killed.

Axel: We can't be killed here.

Ethan: I might be OP, but we'll die if I have to protect this thing.

Axel: No, I mean there isn't any consequence for losing.

Ethan: [suddenly curious] But if you die in the game, you die in real-

Axel: Nope.

Ethan: WHAT?! I…. EXPLAIN!

Axel: Yeah, if you die here, you don't die in real life.

Ai: WHY is this such a HARD concept for you humans?!

Ethan: Mass media. Genre tropes. Making it so people can tell outrageous stories while still having stakes. Take your pick.

Ai: [frowns] He shouldn't have been virtualized.

Axel: [mocks her earlier comment] I thought it was the solution to every problem.

Ai: It is, but I don't like him.

[Axel pats her head.]

Axel: Good girl.

[She is extremely happy at the praise]

Ethan: So, if either of us dies, we're completely fine but the waifu has permadeath?

Axel: [a little annoyed at the repeated question] Yes.

Ethan: Awesome [aims at Ai] Then I don't have to go through all that trouble of an escort mission when I can just shoot all of us and turn off the computer in real life.

Ai: No, because…. oh. [she realizes that would actually work.]

Axel: [smiles] Actually no.

Ethan: [frowns] whyyyyy?

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	7. EP 2: A New Fight D

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[The elevator is descending toward the plateau with the red tower below.]

Ethan: Break it down for me.

Axel: So, you enter a virtual world.

Ethan: Check

Axel: Battle

Ethan: Ahuh.

Axel: And if you die in the game

Ethan: Life Points. Makes sense.

Axel: You just return to real life.

Ethan: …You lost me.

[The elevator arrives at the tower platform. Three megatanks roll up to meet them.]

Ethan: OMG, a unique enemy. The humanoids and rainbow balls are so generic. [claps] Thank you XANA for the fun to kill monsters.

Axel: Ai, keep one busy while Obelisk and I each take one. Obelisk, my pawn found out they only open up to fire, so you have to be ready to dodge and-

Ethan: I agreed to your plan. Let up, will you?

[Ethan takes a few shots at the megatank, but it just ignores the pings against its shell and tries to run him over. Ethan runs around it to get it off his trail. Ai is busy trying to outmaneuver the 3rd megatank and reach the tower, but it's too tricky. Axel carefully walks to his target. It charges up its attack.]

Axel: One, Two, Three-

[It fires its laser grid. Axel blocks with the shaft of his halberd and gets pushed back to the edge of the plateau.]

Axel: Obelisk, I'm holding it. Break its laser grid. It might stun it.

[Ethan ignores him & is running away from his megatank which is currently trying to run him over.]

Axel: Of course, he ignores me.

[Axel attempts to push closer to the monster. The megatank charges its attack.]

Axel: 1. [It's charging.] 2 [It's charging.] 3. [Pivots out of the way of the laser grid.]

It misses.

Axel: …2 3 [He side steps the laser grid.

He repeats this process and slowly makes his way closer.

Just when he gets in range, he attempts a close range attack. The megatank closes and the attack hilariously clanks off it. The megatank charges up and fires. Axel fails to block and is knocked back, his suit sparking.

Axel  
LP 50 - 10

SYSTEM ALERT  
LP has dropped below 40%. Switch to phase 3.

* * *

[Back in the control room.

Despite The Boss's best efforts, she's too exhausted to continue. The golems both land a slash on her, the last one a wicked uppercut that left a deep cut on her face. She collapses.]

Inès: [too afraid to do anything] Come on. [shakes Mabel] Wake up. [She sees the golem's looking at her.] I'm sorry.

[She runs away, but the golems lock on to her and blast her in the back. She gasps and surprises and falls to her knees. Both golems lock onto the girls.]

* * *

Ai: Everything okay?

Axel: [to himself] Last chance. This is my final form. But the scythe should be sharper than the halberd so…

[Axel dodges side to side to avoid the megatank laser grids. He spins around as one is about to hit him, dodging the grid, and slams his scythe into the laser grid, shattering it. The megatank spins around and slows to a halt. It rocks back and forth slightly, stunned.]

Axel: Now, Hammer Time!

PRUNG

[He starts to swing down but a shot from behind destroys the megatank's eye. It rolls back, crashes into a wall, and explodes in a flurry of red pixels.]

Axel: Obelisk, that was my kill!

Ethan: Then act FASTER!

Axel: Fine. Ai, lead yours over here!

[Ethan's firing his rifle back at his target, but it won't open up. He drops his arm after 4 shotsand runs by Axel, leading his Megatank straight in the unprepared teammate. The megatank charges up and fires. The laser barely misses Axel whose distracted by Ethan. Axel winds up his scythe by spinning and then slams the point into the ground, cracking it in front of the megatank. The megatank clanks against the uneven ground and stops dead in its tracks. Axel lifts his scythe up so he can slice it in two.

The megatank rotates onto its side so its right side is facing Axel. His scythe misses the eye and just slashes some of its red biomass instead. But it pierces the otherwise invincible shell and is stuck there. The megatank devirtualizes Axel with a horizontal grid that covers the entire plateau.]

[Axel reappears in the scanners.]

Axel: Ethan, you team killing-

[notices the golem about to stab Mabel. They notice him.]

[Inès uses the opportunity to roll under one of the desks. The golem above Mabel stabs downward and the other one aims its cannon at Axel.

Mabel is stabbed. The blast sends Axel flying backward. Direct hit. He's on the ground, twitching. He's barely able to move, keep his eyes open, or get an arm underneath him in an attempt to get up. Inès, wide eyed in terror, can see Mabel from underneath the desk. She watches as the golem removes its sword from her body.]

* * *

[Ethan jumps back from the 3rd megatank's laser grid, rolls out of its path as it charges toward him, and stops himself in a shooting position so as he pulls his weapon off his back, the master rifle lands perfectly onto his hands. He fires at the megatank with Axel's scythe in can't close its shell with the handle in the way and its helpless as Ethan finishes it off.]

Ethan: OW

[Ethan's hit from behind by a laser grid from the 3rd megatank. He goes flying across the plateau and rolls over several times before hitting the tower and coming to a halt. His avatar spits out a few sparks.]

Ethan  
LP 100 - 20

[While still laying on the ground, Ethan shakes the other orb attached to his shin guards. It expands into a soccer ball. Ethan rolls back onto his feet and fires his canon of a leg. The ball goes sailing toward the open megatank. It closes up, but the ball is too fast. It gets stuck inbetween the halves of the shell and the force of its shell closing crushes the ball causing it to explode. But since it wasn't a direct impact, the blast wasn't as strong as it could be.]

Megatank  
LP 50-5

[The final monster rolls at him. Ethan shoots at it in rapid fire. Then when that doesn't work, he switches to single fire. Cracks starts to appear as he hits the same spot on the shell over and over.]

PRUNG

Ping

PRUNG

Ping

PRUNG

Crack

PRUNG

KAPOW

[He finally breaks open a hole as its just in front of him.]

CLICK

[He's out of ammo. He looks frustrated at the "00" on the ammo counter, then he tries shoving his rifle through the hole and into its eye. It looks like it will land.

A male song voice fills the air, the megatank's shell magically regrows somehow and Ethan's rifle just bounces off. He's crushed. Both emotionally and physically.]

Ethan: [As he's devirtualized] Hacks! I call Ha-

[The final megatank turns toward Ai.]

* * *

[The golem that just stabbed Mabel draws its sword out of her body and turns toward Axel. He's barely conscious, but manages to get up, the front of his sweatshirt and part of the middle of his T-shirt underneath burned away.

As the golem passes the scanners, it raises its sword…

Which disappears in a flash of light.]

Ethan: Integration.

[Right next to where the golem's arm just was, Ethan now stands with a red plasma blade, the energy coming out of his wrists.

FLASHBACK

_Ethan: Awesome [aims at Ai] Then I don't have to go through all that trouble of an escort mission when I can just shoot all of us and turn off the computer in real life._

_Axel: [smiles] Actually no._

_Ethan: [frowns] Whyyyyy?_

_Axel: Ai has access to the upgrade protocol. It allows you to keep any abilities you earn here. Basically, superpowers in real life. I'll allow you to use it to fight the golem and MIB and then keep it so long as you help me._

_Ethan: Sooooo, real world loot for in game progress. [thinks about it for a second] … fine. Deal. _

END FLASHBACK

Ethan: Hey egghead! Your ballsy friend ruined my perfect K/D ratio on the best game ever.

[Ethan lunges at the golem. The golem pulls out its shield and brushes aside Ethan's attack, then brings its own blade down. Ethan tries to pull away while blocking with his own sword arm. It appears he did it.

Ethan's sword hits the ground…

Along with the rest of his arm.]

[Ethan raises his sword arm only to realize it isn't there. He looks down. His hand is on the floor with the plasma blade emanating from it. Ethan, realizing what happened, starts to feel the pain.]

Ethan: AHHHHHH!

[The golem kicks him across the floor into a desk.]

* * *

[The megatank focuses on Ai. She's at the edge of the plateau. She clasps her hands. A female song voice fills the air. The megatank rolls fiercely at her and tries to crush her. She falls backward off the plateau. The megatank goes sailing over and hits the electric surface of the blue planet. A spire of light rises from the spot of its impact. Ai is smiling at the sight from the platform she made just below the edge of the plateau.]

Ai: [smirks] And he called me useless. Now I just have to deactivate the tower and-

[realizes she didn't make a way back up to the plateau.]

Ai: ["I-messed- up" voice] Ohhhhhhhh.

* * *

[Somehow, Ethan gets up by bracing on the desk with his good hand. The golem walks up to him to finish its job. Ethan tries kicking the golem in the groin which fails because it doesn't have one. The golem stabs him through the gut and raises him into the air.]

Axel: Holy…

Ethan: [gasping] You you call this penetration? I'll show you a real-

[The golem tosses him over its shoulder. He lands hard on top the terminal platform. It turns toward Axel. The golem charges up its cannon. It's a moment away from firing.

Something lands gracefully on top of the golem's head, forcing its gaze upward. A purple knuckle slams into its eye.]

LASER ARROW!

[The golem explodes into tiny florescent bits. Axel just stares at what just appeared in front of him.

A slim figure dressed in a **purple suit** with **yellow circuits** on it. He had **cone shaped blond hair **with a **splash of purple** in the middle. He noticed **cat ears** sticking through the blonde tangles. He had **purple triangle marks** above his blond eyebrows and **purple slashes** that go up from the bottom of his cheeks to near his eyes. They had **yellow jagged stripes** that run up his gloves. He had **purple kneepads** and shoulder pads with a **yellow liner** around them. On his back, he had a **purple tail** with a lilac stripe pattern on it. He had **yellow boots** sticking out of the bottom of his pants. They each had 3 blades sticking out of the tip, like claws. He had **Black gauntlets** made of overlapping metal plates that went up to his elbows and ended in claws. It had slots cut out of the sides to allow the **yellow stripes** on his gloves to show through. The part of the gauntlet over the gloves had 3 laser projectors in the shape of teardrops with electric blue discs to shoot the laser arrow attack from before.]

Odd [the man] Della Robbia: [French] Sorry we're late. [Gives Axel a wink] Finding parking for our ship was terrible.

[The other golem immediately focuses on the new threat. It starts to charge its cannon only to be suddenly in the air, upside down and covered in orange aura.

Two more figures appear in the room.

The girl wore a **dark violet sleeveless gi** with a **black liner** and a **flower pattern** on it. She had **short black hair** with a small pink hairpin in and had **two grey metal studs** above her eyebrows. She wore **grey kneepads** and a **grey bracer** on her left arm. Also, she had **long dark violet arm sleeves** that end in fingerless gloves. Her kneepads connected to **dark red shin guards** that transitioned to her **heavy dark red boots** with a pink locking strap. On her back, she wore a **glowing golden yellow obi sash** attached to her with metal brackets that were fastened to the gi's liner. Underneath the sash was a **small turquoise rod** attached to the small of her back. Strangest of all, she was carrying **two glowing metal Tessen**.

The boy wore a **grey skin suit** that ended in **fingerless gloves**. He had **messy black hair**. He had **black shoulder pads** with a red outline. He wore a **black plackart** with **red stripes** running down the side. On either arm, he wore **long black gloves** that have tattered ends that transition from **black to grey to orange frayed tips** that glow softly like **embers**. Over the glove on his left forearm, he had a spiked chrome gauntlet. He had two noticeable **black belts** wrapped around his upper left leg. He has an **orange corruption** over his skin suit. Unlike the precise circuits on the catboy, the pattern is like **tendrils creeping** on the other boy. In much the same way was the boy in black's weapon. A **huge zweihander** with **black tendrils** surrounding the hilt with a ruby red pommel. The corruption crept up from the hilt and toward the tip of the blade.

Yumi: [French] You want this?

William: [French] Leave it to me. [points to the golem to get its attention.] You. Too Ugly. Die immediately. [He throws his gigantic zweihander through the golem. It goes straight through leaving a huge hole. The ninja girl stops her telekinesis.]

William: [French] [turns back to face the others.] That wasn't as big a deal as the MIB made it out to be.

[The golem reforms on the floor. It stands up without the boy dressed in black noticing and slashes at his back.]

William: [French] [without even turning around] Super Smoke! [holds up a hand]

[The sword in the wall shifts, its tendrils glow orange and it flies into the boy's hand. William deflects a golem's downward strike with a soft arc …

and turns it into a sharp upper cut that annihilates the top half of the golem, its head, and center of the FREAKING ceiling with it. Daylight streams through the wrecked ceiling illuminating the ruins of the golem.

The sprites guarding the supercomputer zoom through the door. One knocks into Odd. They swish around the room in circles.

Yumi takes care of a few sprites with her Tessen, but there's too many to deal with quickly.]

* * *

[Ai drags herself over the edge of the plateau. She rolls onto her back panting, then gets up and starts running toward the tower. Ai power slides into the tower. The second Ai touches the central circle of the platform, she's covered in a blue aura and starts to rise.]

Ai: Comeoncomeon. Faster!

* * *

[The sprites glow orange.]

Axel: [warns the Lyoko Warriors] They're going Kamekaze mode.

[On kamikaze sprite sails toward Mabel's body & the desk with Inès under it. It's covered with an orange aura**. **Yumi stops it with telekinesis.]

* * *

[Ai lands on the platform and stumbles forward. A screen appears before her.]

* * *

[The last sprite zooms toward Axel. None of the Lyoko Warriors have their attention on him.]

* * *

[Ai touches the screen on the second platform.]

"Register"

Ai types in "Ai"

[It disappears followed by "Code Lyoko"]

* * *

[The sprite disappears before it impacts Axel's face. The other sprites collapse into plasma.]

Odd: [French] [points to a pile of plasma that used to be a sprite that disappeared just as he shot it.] That counts as my point!

William: [French] Fine.

Yumi: [French] I can't believe this is it. All we have to do is destroy this supercomputer and it's all over. [sad] I wish she could be here for this.

[Axel is eyeing the Lyoko Warriors suspiciously.

Someone clears their throat off to the side. It's the boss. She's somehow on her feet, despite the cuts and burns on her … everything. The Lyoko Warriors are suddenly very still. The boss's eyes pass over them one by one, then snaps her head to Axel.

The Boss: [sees Axel for the first time] YOU! I need you to come with me.

Axel: [thinks] _Not yet._ [Takes a deep breath] [out loud] I am truly sorry, uh…

[The boss limps over and grabs his arm.]

Axel: Wai! Before any of us do anything, I need some basic questions answered.

William: [French] [trying not to look at what the boss is doing.] The attack sure did a lot of damage. I hope no one got hurt.

Yumi: [French] [looks up at the ceiling.] I think you caused most of the damage.

[The other teens in their avatars all pause to listen to something in their ears.]

Odd: [French] [over comms] Wait are you saying you haven't even reached the tower yet?

Axel: [Trying to get the LW attention] I'm the one who deactivated the tower.

[Yumi holds an arm out to stop the boss. She stops, but still maintains a grasp on Axel's arm.]

Axel: Who are they?

The Boss: They're the Lyoko Warriors. They specialize in this kind of threat.

Yumi: [French] Ask him what he means about him and the tower.

The Boss: What did you do while virtualized?

Axel: [playing charades] Supercomputer. Equal. Deckard incident?

The Boss: Answer the question.

Odd: [Answers Axel's question.] Oui

Axel: What happens now?

The Boss: Now, we destroy this supercomputer. This machine is dangerous and too powerful to be controlled.

Axel: I can't let you do that.

The Boss: You can't LET us?! We are the ones in control. [indicates the LW behind her who can't tell what's she's saying in English.]

Axel: Right, it it is dangerous. But it can be controlled. But not by you. I've decided. [confident] I'm going to take over the world!

[Everyone's attention, which was previously on the aftermath of the attack, is instantly on Axel]

Episode 2 end.


	8. EP 3: Trinity A

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

Episode 3: Let'5 Pl4y: Tr1n1t7 (Let's Play: Trinity)

The Boss: [taken back] E…explain what you mean by that.

William: [French] Einstein, what did he just say? Rinzler is worked up over it.

Axel: [nervous] Miss, I understand that, that you are interested in maintaining the status quo, but in all hon, honesty, that's a huge mistake. [Jackal and Lone Elite start to wake up] The world sucks. As someone in your position knows, nobody follows the rules.

[Rinzler glances at Jackal who adverts her eyes]

Axel: And with the destruction & data loss from the Deckard Incident everyone's life is worse. Everyone needs a change of reality. So, I'll use this [points over his shoulder at the scanners] to create abilities and sci-fi tech and bring them to this world. Then I can… well I _will_ take over the world and I'll rewrite this unfair reality into a place of equal opportunity.

Rinzler: [genuinely confused on why Axel is making a speech] Why are you telling us this? Do you think we'll let you use this supercomputer if have good intentions?

Axel: No no, I don't think that at all. [slowly as if reciting something] I think you'll do everything you can to make sure this place is a secret and under your total control. When it should be out in the world.

Yumi: [French] [listening to the translation with one hand over her ear.] That's not right. You told us you were with us on tracking down and destroying XANA and the supercomputers. [suspicious] Right?

Rinzler: [French][To Yumi] I don't have the time, patience, or even want to explain how wrong-

Axel: [Full steam ahead] And of course, you'll do whatever it takes to make it so we can't tell anyone about this place. So, come on. Take out your neuralizers.

Lone Elite: [into earpiece] Um, I need to requisition the cleanup package-

Axel: [enjoying himself] OMG, you don't even have it with you. [cruelly mocks] See, this kind of slipup is why you don't deserve to control this place.

Rinzler: [English] All right this has gone on long enough. [fed up] Will you stop monologuing? You're wasting everyone's ti- [realizes that's EXACTLY what the little sh!t was up to the entire time.] GET HIM AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD! [Jerks her head to look at Ethan]

Ai: [speakers] It's ready Obelisk.

[Ethan has managed to push himself up into the chair on the terminal platform. He weakly hits the enter key on the keyboard with his intact hand.]

[A column of white light bursts from the central point between the three scanners, up into the bottom of the command station encapsulating Ethan. It spreads out to cover everything.]

William: [French] [terrifying realization at Ai's voice] Was that- [cut off by the white light.]

[Opening Theme plays]

* * *

[The glow fades. Inès is in the woodland with Mabel. Inès jerks her head around in surprise while Mabel & the Men in Black they are watching act normally.]

Mabel: [whispers] … This is big. If they're packing that must mean it's important. What if this related to the Deckard Incident? Makes sense if-

Inès: What do you mean, you know it doesn't anything to do with that.

Mabel: Oh, you noticed something with your Inès skills?!

Inès: No, they're looking for the lab.

[Mabel has a blank face.]

Inès: The girl in the computer, the boy monologuing about taking over the world or something. They were going to erase our memory.

Mabel: I don't get what you're saying, but if they would have erased our memory, they would have put us back at school, not watching them from the bushes. You feeling okay?

Inès: I… no. I thought it… You were hurt because of me and-

Mabel: Okay, you were right. This is too stressful for you. Let's go back.

Inès: You don't care about what the MIB are doing?

Mabel: I do, but not now. Stay low so they don't see us.

* * *

[Ethan is back on the soccer field. He looks down at his now attached left arm.]

Ethan: We time traveled… [accepts his new bizarre reality] Okay.

Coach Zama: Townley. Keep up the pace!

[Someone passes the ball to Ethan. Ethan kicks the ball over the entire field into the goal.]

Ethan: [frowns] It's just not the same without explosions.

[Ethan ducks away from the field]

Coach Zama: Hey where are you going?!

[Ethan is behind the locker room in the stadium. He makes a fist and the plasma sword fizzles into existence around his hand.]

Ethan: [swinging the sword around, making sound effects verbally] Huhuhuhuhhaaaa. Swish. Swish, stab!

[He takes a huge slash at a wall, anther slash and then stabs right through it like punching through tin foil.]

Ethan: [awe and sudden realization] I need to get back to that world.

* * *

[After the light fades away, Axel is back in the supercomputer room.]

Axel: Woah. For a second there, I didn't think that would work. Glad they didn't get sick of me talking and start shooting.

[Axel reenters the terminal room. Ai comes up on the screens.]

Ai: I think I did it right.

Axel: [checks his phone] Well either someone has hacked my phone, or we really did reverse time. So, it's official. There is literally nothing this supercomputer can't do.

Ai: What do we do now?

Axel: I'll stay here until the MIB stop searching now that there isn't an activated tower and [listens for the signal he heard earlier] yep, the emergency signal from the supercomputer stopped transmitting. They won't have anything to lead them to the lab. Definitely don't want a secret government organization to get their hands on time travel.

Ai: Clever plan. Distract them with an unbelievable story.

Axel: It wasn't made up.

Ai: What?

Axel: [states what he thinks is obvious] Well, that's my actual plan for this place.

[Axel's phone buzzes.]

Axel: Wait one second.

[Ethan sent him a snap. It's a picture of him standing with his plasma sword out and a trash bin cut in half. Caption reads "Questions need answers. Where's the lab? MIB will probably have lines tapped. Use snap to respond."]

Axel types: "True, they probably don't have an algorithm for snapchat. Even if, use 😉 {winking face emoji} to communicate to make it harder."

"So, where's the lab?"

"No one can come or leave the lab until the 🎩{Black Hat emoji} leave. You need to make sure the beret girl doesn't tell anyone."

"You don't remember her name?!"

"Things happened fast. 😩 {Weary Face emoji}"

"Take a guess."

"Nessy? Ingrid?"

"It's Inès."

"How do you know that?"

"BECAUSE I 💷 {Pound Banknote emoji} ATTENTION!"

"Just make sure she doesn't say anything. I'll be back once the MIB leave."

* * *

[Cut to Malhur Academy's cafeteria. It's a building with a wall of windows on the main floor facing the cliffside fields. The opposing side is a hallway leading to the dorms. The main floor has sets of cafeteria tables with two sets of stairs on either side in the back leading upward. The second floor runs along the outside wall with the right half cut away to show the main floor and the tables below while the left half houses a string of booths running along the wall. To the right of the top of the stairs is open area with more tables. From there, there are doors where someone can exit onto a balcony overlooking the cliffside yards over the inlet.

Inès is in one of the tables on the balcony with a view the back grassy courtyards separated by cobblestone walkways behind the school and the inlet to the south. Along with her are Mabel, and three other girls, one of which is talking.

The speaker has an Argentinian complexion. She's wearing a long-sleeved **navy-blue** t-shirt and **ivy green jeans **with **paint stains** all over them. Her face is framed by **long chestnut brown** hair with two **orange streaks** running through it.]

Zoe: It's like that one commercial that keeps popping up. The one where he keeps on ripping his jacket off…

Landry: …And he has the same jacket underneath.

Tanya: Why is that like even in there?

Mabel: The director probably thought it was hilarious and nobody wanted to stop him.

[Landry does a manly voice impression.]

Landry: "I just can't get it off me"

[and they all laugh except for Inès.

Inès flashes back to when she was under the desk and she saw Mabel being stabbed by the golem. She looks up to see that none of them are looking at her and are too engrossed in their conversation.]

Inès: [tries to join in] I think I know why they thought it was a good idea. [That gets their attention.] Because imagine if they did it with pants.

[No one reacts.]

Tanya: Why would that make a difference?

Inès: Oh, because … it would be awkward if he did that since he would be showing… [trails off nervously]

Mabel: [tries to support her] Eh, I think that would have made it bearable.

Zoe: It's bearable as is. Just when like it pops up on every website. Like when I was reserving the boat OH! [remembers something] who's coming to the sandbar tomorrow?

Landry: I'm in.

Mabel: I've got nothing, nothing important going on.

Tanya: Free here.

Inès: [backing out] I think I have something going on.

Mabel: No, you don't [turns to Zoe] we're both coming.

Zoe: I want to hear it from Inès. If you're just going to sit in the corner and take the boat back when everyone wants to go for a ride instead, then just don't come at all.

Inès: Mabel has it wrong. I got signed up for duty for… [mumbles something] Bye. [gets up from the table and goes back inside.]

Zoe: Uhg, she left her tray. Who's going to get it.

Mabel: I'll take it. I had to tell her something anyway. [she follows Inès inside and caught up at the top of the staircase.] It's just hanging out on the sandbar.

Inès: She expects something from me. And I can't… I just can't-

Mabel: It's called socializing. You "_suffer"_ to create "_association"_ with someone. And once you get to know them, "_then"_ it's great. [Inès leaves while Mabel is talking.] Did you hear me?

[When Inès is at the bottom of the cafeteria stairs, there is a pillar between the cafeteria floor and the dorm hallway.

Ethan reaches out from behind and grabs her arm.]

Ethan: We need to talk.

[He pulls her outside into the courtyard.]

Inès: STOP IT!

Ethan: [Not even looking at her] I just need to ask you some questions.

[Inès tries to yank her arm out of Ethan's grasp. Ethan maintains his grip without any effort and just looks confused at how pathetic Inès is acting.]

Ethan: Calm down. [ignites his plasma sword.] Be quiet or someone is going to hear.

[Inès faints at the sight of it. Ethan clearly can catch her as she falls but chooses not to and she hits the ground.]

Ethan: [sighs] Useless frog.

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	9. EP 3: Trinity B

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Cut to Ethan dragging Inès into the woodland.]

Ethan: I hate useless people.

[He props her up against a tree.]

Ethan: No cameras around here. Should be okay if she freaks out.

[He wakes her up by burning a hole in her beret with his plasma sword.]

Ethan: Hey useless smuck!

[She wakes up.]

Ethan: Where's the lab?

Inès: What?

Ethan: The chem shack. Circuit City. The lab we all were at! The MIB showed up. Attack of the blue smears.

Inès: What, that wasn't real.

Ethan: Of course it was. How else would I know about it?

Inès: You're not real. You're trying to torture me.

Ethan: Well, the latter's true.

Inès: If you were there, then you would know how to get there.

Ethan: No, the MIB kept me in the back of a van on the way there. I have no idea where it is. Only you and Sherlock know after the time jump.

Inès: [confused and trying to figure out her own reasoning.] But that couldn't be real. Mabel got hurt because of me. Oh no. She got hurt because of me. I can't do it. I knew it would happen, but I couldn't stop it. No. Wait, she didn't know anything. [looks back to Ethan.] She would tell me if it had happened.

Ethan: Listen, we. Went. Back. In TIME! Sherlock said the only ones who would remember anything are the lucky snuks who went to the video game world. That's why no one else remem- I sound absolutely nutters don't I.

Inès: I sortta remember the lab, but nothing about another world. I stepped into the metal tube, and then… nothing. Then I woke up and everything was chaos.

Ethan: IT was real. The giant red candle thing, the cliché waifu girl, the virtual world. [gets in her face.]

Inès: [thinks] _It's just a hallucination. He isn't real. He'll just hurt me._

[She runs away sniffling. Ethan doesn't bother to follow her.]

Ethan: [yells after her] Just don't nark on [trails off] ussssss eehhh I don't care. If she tells, time Travel.

* * *

Ai: What did you mean, "that's your actual plan?"

Axel: Exactly what it sounds like. I knew if I told them the ambitions I had for this place, they would never believe that I would tell them something so self-damming. And that would throw them off from Ethan.

Ai: And what did you mean about the boss keeping this place? She said she was going to destroy it.

Axel: It was obvious that the MIB wouldn't destroy something this powerful. The boss was putting on a show to get those other kids who already used the upgrade protocol to help them take control of this place.

Ai: But what if they _were_ trying to shut down the Annex. I mean if this XANA is as powerful as they all think it is, then I don't think they would take that kind of chance.

Axel: Of course, they would. They're a shadow organization. Those guys always want powerful weapons and technology, no matter what it might let loose. Greed overpowers logic.

Ai: Okay, but why would you want to take over the world?

Axel: [suddenly serious] Because I'm sick of hearing nothing but problems and seeing people acting the wrong way. I've always thought if I had the power to change things, I could make a world where everyone followed the rules. [Looks back to her on the screen] And now I can finally do that.

Ai: Not to be rude or anything, I mean you did wake me up from nothingness, but I did say I wanted some answers after no one was in danger of being … plasmafied. Soooooo, WHO AM I?

Axel: I just found this place a couple hours ago. Well, a couple minutes ago the first time around. I need a chance to look around this place for answers. If you told me everything you know, then we're on the same page.

Ai: Can I do anything?

Axel: Well you've already shown me all of the codes and systems you can access and the only other records we have are these print outs, so no. Just watch some YouTube or something while I read through these.

Ai: What's that? Another monster?

Axel: No, it's a video streaming service on the internet.

Ai: What's a video? And what kind of net?

Axel: … I am not prepared to teach this. Look, here's something called google. Type any question you have into it. Don't bother me for a couple hours. By that time, the MIB should have cleared out.

* * *

[Ethan is singing while walking down the hallway. He's surprisingly on key.]

"…_It's a gorgeous day to play. Oh yes the day is it full of life, I'm finally free to do what I like, it's a GORgeous day to. Play. IN_ [opens the door to see his room.] …"

[Sees both boys beds ripped to shreds. Everything in their closets is thrown on the ground. The monitors they placed on tables at the end of their beds have been thrown on the ground and shattered.

Ethan looks at the ground in front of him.]

Ethan: That had better be chocolate or mud. [looks at the floor closer] WELP [ignites his plasma sword] looks like I'm gonna have to choke a b!tch. [to himself as he leaves.] "I've come to topple Rook and his pawns." No. [muffled as he's moved to the hallway.] "Rook, you should have '_check_ed' who you're messing with '_mate_.'" Ooooh, I like that one.

* * *

Axel: [is checking the MIB notes] Done with everything in here … All that's left is to figure out how to kill XANA, materialize virtual objects like it did, manipulate physics like it did, activate towers for energy like it did. I need to know what happened here, how, how it was abandoned, why people built this place. Oh, man, so much stuff to puzzle out. It's just soo many questions. It's, it's like a giant mountain you have to chip at and you know you're not going to get through it anytime soon, but you just can't help but start because you know with all that that stuff, you'll find something excellent immediately.

AI: Sounds like you want it to give you the answers rather than kill it.

Axel: Huh? Oh, no. I was talking to myself.

Ai: Why?

Axel: [nonchalant] Eh It's just habit. I'm used to no one paying attention to what I say.

Ai: So, I wanted to visit the real world-

Axel: [offhand] Oh you want to talk now.

[Ai looks at him like she's waiting for him to talk.]

Axel: Again, used to not having anyone answer me. Continue.

Ai: … So, I tried the materialization on myself and it didn't work.

Axel: Makes sense. If we could just use it on anything, XANA wouldn't have needed a tower for the golems.

Ai: So, I was thinking that maybe you could find a way to make it work?

Axel: That sounds like a big-time commitment for something that's not a high priority. Like finding XANA. I know it went to the interior of the planetoid-

Ai: [sass sass] Oh, so you're talking now.

Axel: [doesn't appear to hear her] Planetoid? Shield world? Shield world. The first step is to find a way into the shield world, but the problem is that wherever that room is, it's probably guarded.

Ai: You need backup.

Axel: It think It's best if Beret girl, girl 2, and [clenched teeth] "Ethan" just forget about this place. The less people who know about this place, the better. Once I figure out all the rules of the virtual world, I can solo the monsters. Besides, anyone else besides me would mess things up.

Ai: You don't know that.

Axel: Yes, I do. I have no idea who Inette-

Ai: Inès.

Axel: Inès or girl 2 is, So I can't trust them. And Ethan only wants to use the supercomputer for its power just so he can have fun.

Ai: You don't know that either.

Axel: Yes, I do!

Ai: Why?!

Axel: BECAUSE HE'S ETHAN ALUCARD TOWNLEY. He only does what's in his best interest, he doesn't care about anyone else's opinion. We're not friends. The only reason he joined the club I made was so he could use the VR headset for watch… I know how to find out where XANA is.

[He takes off out the door.]

* * *

[Cut to Inès is walking down a hallway to her room in the school dorms. Above her one of the lights in the ceiling bursts and lightning scatters across the walls and floor around her.

Inès completely ignores it, sighs, and walks on without changing her expression. To her, the unexpected phenomenon wasn't surprising at all.]

* * *

[It becomes night outside. Axel comes back to the school through the dock at the base of the cliff that marks the school's borders. He runs up the stairs. He runs through the underground halls to get to a specific room.

The door has a poster that looks like the cover of a video game box with "Team EXO: Video Gaming Club" as the title. Below that is a pretend quote from a review site.

"Video Games rule; Sports are for nerds."-IGN

He enters the room in a hurry.

The room has no windows. There is a medium sized collection of video games under a waist high table in the center of the room and a metal DDR platform in the corner. There is a couch on the wall opposite the door with the table in front of that and a monitor sitting on a carboard box across from that on the same wall as the door. Next to the couch was a VR cage. At the end of the room opposite the door, desks line the wall with 2 on the short wall, and 2 right next to those on each adjacent wall for six in total. All desks have small computer monitors and a PC connected to them. Video game posters line the walls.

Two students are on the couch. Conner and Disc are sitting on the couch.

They both have a VR headset on.

Axel taps Conner on the shoulder. Conner wearing **grey shorts** and **long-sleeved shirt**. His hair is cut **short** and he is **very tan**. He pulls off one of the headphone muffs. A movie's soundtrack can be heard playing through it.]

Axel: [With authority] I need to use those.

Conner: Really? Couldn't you just wait until the movie is over?

Axel: It's an emergency.

Conner: [sighs] Okay.

[Axel plugs his phone into the computer with the VR attached to it and puts on the VR headset.

A camera appears on the tower Ai is in. It just looks like a ball with an Annex symbol on it. Ai notices it.]

Ai: AHHH

Axel: It's just me.

Ai: [jumps up and grabs the probe & looks in its lens.] I don't see you.

Axel: It's a probe, a camera. It just transmits visual data. Hey, can you let go.

Ai: So, there's a scanner where you are now?

Axel: No, I'm using a VR headset. It's like having an avatar on the Annex but controlling with your body in reality. The scanners are just a more advanced version of this.

Disc: [taking off her headset] What's a more advanced version?

Axel: [To Disc] [holds up a finger for silence] I don't have time to talk right now.

Ai: So, what's the point of this?

Axel: To find that evil room that went into the planet.

Ai: So, if you can see into the virtual world, can I use it to see into reality?

Axel: No that's not how it works. But there might be something I can-

Conner: I thought you said this was an emergency. Is this a game?

Axel: [To Conner] What did I just say?

Axel: [to Ai] Later.

[Axel's probe zooms off out of the tower.]

Ai: Hello?

[The probe zooms through the platforms orbiting the planet and finds a shaft in the metal shell. It zooms through. There is another planet within this one. A smaller sphere was inside the first, the same blue texture, although now there was a metal sky of the outer crust of the first planet. In the space between there was more floating plateaus. But now they were bigger and looked more like fortresses with huge gapping entrances in their walls. They shifted as they accommodated platforms flying through and around them.

He spots a black aura. He sees the evil room zoom by. The probe swivels sharply and flies straight over it. He sees inside one of the fortresses. The black bunker room has lowered itself inside the defensive structure.

Axel: There you are. [the probe returns back the way it came.]

* * *

[It's the next day. Cut to science class. Other students are still working on the science project, a parallel circuit experiment with wires connected to batteries and metal conductors of some sort. Axel is working on his computer, the VR headset from the lab next to him on the desk on his left and his module with completed circuits and worksheet filled out and set aside on the right. He's blinking a lot when typing and has noticeable bags under his eyes, but his concentration is strong. He has a 3D modeling software open and is adjusting something on what looks like a pair of glasses.

Ethan slides into the classroom, then casually starts towards the desk Axel is at.]

All students (but Axel): LATE!

Ethan: Sod off you filthy extras.

Teacher: [ignoring the situation with Ethan] Time is running out. Remember, for your currents, keep your metal bracelet attached to a ground while you're working with the circuit, so you won't be shocked.

[Ethan slams down in his chair so hard that it slides over and bumps into Axel's.]

Ethan: Where's the lab?

Axel: Good morning too.

[Axel goes back to working on the VR headset.]

Ethan: All right you've dodged me for long enough.

Axel: [finally answers Ethan] I'm not telling you where the lab is.

Ethan: You can't stop me from going back there.

Axel: I can if you don't know where it is.

Ethan: You owe me.

Axel: The room? Rook did that.

Ethan: Because of your narking!

Axel: Which you agreed to it.

Ethan: Rook has had hell coming for a long time for blaming me

Axel: If I buy us new equipment this time, will you drop it.

Ethan: Fine.

[Axel types]

Ethan: So, this upgrade program, any powers I get in the Annex, I get in real life?

Axel: Yes.

Ethan: [teasing] And you and the beret girl didn't get any abilities to start out with?

Axel: [there's a "go away" look on his face] It appears that way yes.

Ethan: So, you can't get superpowers.

Axel: No, once I figure out the leveling system for the Annex, I'll grind it till I unlock an ability. [clicks mouse] I have replacement consoles, replacement desktop, external drives, controllers… What about monitors? Want to upgrade?

Ethan: Why not?

Axel: 37.5-inch 4K, 144Hz refresh rate, overclockable to 165Hz, Nvidia graphics…

Ethan: Sounds good.

Axel: Netflix button on the remotes?

Ethan: Of course!

Axel: You want the curved screen?

Ethan: No that's a stupid MOFFing gimmick and everyone knows it!

Axel: Your dad's card or your credit?

Ethan: Dad's.

Axel: [clicks] There.

Ethan: You bought them?

Axel: Yep.

Ethan: Cool. Where's the lab?

Axel: You said-

Ethan: We're even for Rook, but Annex and XANA…

Axel: Look, you get to keep your technomancy ability, but you don't need anything to do with the Annex.

[The bell chimes.]

Ethan: It's aDORable you think you have control over the situation.

[Axel packs up and drops his worksheet in the turn it in basket. Ethan grabs a sheet off the pile of fresh copies, scribbles "E.A.T" on it and slams it on top as he follows Axel out.]

* * *

[Inès and Mabel are down by the inlet near a dock by the mouth of the inlet wearing bathing suits. Down below her, kids from Malhur Academy are partying on the beach and sand bars sitting in the middle of the inlet. The hills of the inlet are sharp faded tan stone cliffs. Off to her right, the bridge spanning high above the mouth of the inlet is connecting the two sides. She walks down to the throng of people looking for her friends. Music is blaring from someone's portable speaker. People are complaining on how they heard this song a million times while a group right next to them is singing away to the lyrics.]

Mable: They kinda got mad that you blew them off yesterday.

Inès: I'm sorry.

Mable: But how do you know Ethan Townley?

Inès: I ... I don't know how I know him.

Mable: [suspicious] Really? From what I saw, he seemed pretty confident that he knew you.

Inès: I don't know him!

Mable: Well, you don't have to tell me about the other thing, but when it comes to a walking disaster like him, tell me the truth.

Inès: I am. I mean, I remember meeting him yesterday, but I swear I thought it was a hallucination.

Mable: Well, knowing his type, it's not surprising you thought he was unreal. Just relax, have a good time… and try to seem grateful for all the "hard work" Zoe put into this.

Inès: Didn't she just fill out a form and make a few texts to people coming?

Mabel: [sarcastic] A whole afternoon of hard work I know.

[They walk up to the end of the dock where the boat is docked. Zoe is letting people on.]

Zoe: Glad you could make it. Inès, Mabel insisted that you would want to come. Glad to see it. Would hate to have someone break away from the fun just to tow you over. [giggles slyly and steps off the dock into the boat]

Mabel: [whispers to Inès] VERY, grateful.

* * *

[Axel is passing through the halls; the view of the inlet can be seen through the windows. He's about to enter a staircase, the same one that leads to the docks that he traveled up last night.]

Ethan: [runs down the stairs after him.] Hey, I want in.

Axel: You can't.

Coach Zama: Townley, the game starts in 20 minutes. Why are you still in normal clothes?

Axel: Someone forgetting about their academic commitments?

Ethan: Kick boring normal air-filled footballs or I could be kicking explosive footballs at robots in VR. To the lab.

Axel: [deep breath] Don't you rely on all your points from winning soccer games.

Ethan: It's called football. Yeah, why?

Axel: And aren't you close to flunking out?

Ethan: Not your business.

Axel: So, how are you going to get access to the lab if you're expelled?

[awkward pause]

Ethan: [turns to leave] You know Sherlock, one of these days, you're going to be wrong about something.

Axel: [smug] Not very likely.

* * *

[There are a bunch of high schoolers in swimsuits and quick dry clothes hanging out on the sandbar in the middle of the inlet. There's music playing from someone's wireless speaker on top of the boat that's beached slightly to prevent it from floating off. Inès is just hanging by herself against a tree. Mabel is talking to Zoe and some boys.]

Mabel: …Outback Steakhouse IS the Illuminati. You take the 5 locations in any city and…

[Inès tries to get up to talk with them. She walks over to them but before they notice her, she can't summon the courage just to speak to them. She hangs her head and trudges back to sit in the shade with her back to the tree.]

Axel?: Right choice. You would just fail like you did at lunch.

[A hallucination of Axel starts talking. He's wearing the same outfit he was in the video where he snitched on Rook and the football team.]

Axel?: They look happy. Don't ruin it for them by joining in and dragging them down.

[She stands up and looks down at the boy sitting against the tree. She can see the other side of his face from this angle. He has a red and green spiral mark on the left side of his face.

The hallucination blinks out of existence.]

* * *

[Cut to a stadium on campus grounds. It's a large field with a 6-lane track oval around a grass field with heavy lights on poles around the perimeter. There are bleachers along each long side of the track. The seats on the side closest to the main school complex are built into a building that houses locker rooms, and the broadcasting station for the announcers.

Cut to Ethan in a locker room. Ethan has changed into a red soccer jersey with the number 77 in white lettering on it.

His phone rings. He phases out the phone on the side of his arm so he can see the screen. He sees it's an unknown number. He cancels it and reabsorbs it. Then its rings again and picks up automatically.]

Ai: [phone] Hi!

Ethan: AUUUH! It's in my head.

[He phases out the speaker and microphone from his phone. They appear as a triangular microphone next to his mouth and gray casing around his ear.]

Ai: I used the supercomputer to force access to your phone. There seemed to be interference the first few times I called.

Ethan: You FORCED?!

Ai: Well yah. This machine, from the records Axel found, is meant to facilitate communication networks and thus has the highest priority on deciding which signals get through and what gets rejected.

Ethan: I thought we were trying to avoid the MIB monitoring our calls?

Ai: Oh, I rerouted all of your phones through the supercomputer. It has a higher encryption than anything else, so you don't need to worry about anyone else knowing what you do on them.

Ethan: Wait, does this mean I have unlimited data?

Ai: I mean, technically I'm splitting up the packet calls to different servers and using the supercomputer's own transfer protocol, so yes.

Ethan: Awesome.

[He hangs up on her. She calls back.]

AI: You did that on purpose.

Ethan: Duh. You're just a waifu.

Ai: That's why I wanted to talk with you. I think I got the jist of the history of the world after a couple of hours. But I can't find any mention of my existence using the "googles", but you seem to know what kind of species I am.

Ethan: Okay, you know how I know you're a waifu? Because you said "google" in a purposely cutesy way.

Ai: I did? Wait, so you do know! What is my function?

Ethan: You want me to tell you your purpose in life?

Ai: YES! [calms down.] Sorry. Yes. Thank you. Axel won't give me time to help me with anything. I mean the whole finding out what the Annex is important and all, but…

[Ethan gets a wicked grin on his face while Ai rambles in the background. Ethan puts her on hold.]

Ethan: Oh lord in heaven I thank you for this blessed opportunity.

[Un mutes her.]

Ethan: Sooooo, the first thing you have to do is make sure other people are always happy. Second, always give Axel the idea you think he's the greatest and care about him over everything else…

[He walks out the door to the hallways in the locker room building, while attempting to ruin another's person's life on the phone.]

* * *

[Ethan walks out onto the field. Warmup drills are almost over. The other team can be seen on the other end of the field while other Malhur students in red jerseys are finishing stretches.

Ethan: …And finally, always make sure to throw yourself into any dangerous situation to save other people even if it isn't life threatening.

Coach Zama: Townley! Put away your phone now.

Ethan: Have to go. I'll make sure to tell you all about the holy book of Isekai later.

Ai: Thank you Ethan, this has been so helpful. I'll make sure research these "Animes". I'll try to finish them all before your game is over. [hangs up]

Ethan: Integration [absorbs his phone's microphone and speaker.] Best. Superpower. Ever.

[Hainer and Korey walk up to Ethan as he approaches the group.]

Hainer: Was sending Rook to the hospital really necessary?

Ethan: They did something very. Very. Stupid. Breaking my stuff.

Coach Zama: [gets their attention.] Lincoln's team looks like they are in good shape. Remember your picks and targets. You've run the drills for them. You'll do great if you apply your training. And Townley. Try to score without making us-

Ethan: [still grinning after his conversation with Ai.] You know what. I'm in a good mood, so I'll actually try today.

Korey: You'll actually try today?! OH, we have this!

Ethan: Yeah, but after we get a lead, I'm heading out due to an "injury". You guys can win by playing defensive. I know you can do at least that much.

Hainer: We could have a better chance if-

Ethan: Great, glad we all love my idea. Break.

[Cut to Ethan and the rest of Malhur academy's soccer team. The whistle blows. Both teams scramble into action. Ethan steals the ball from an enemy player and passes it to another member of his team. Ethan spins around a guy blocking him and heads for the goal.]

Coach Zama: Pass it back to Townley. We need his finisher.

[His teammate passes back to Ethan. Two opponent players move in to block him from the goal. He up kicks the ball into the air, jumps into the air after it, spins around...]

Ethan: Trip-

[He kicks the ball at the enemy player on the right. It hits him square in the face. It bounces off toward the left player.]

Ethan: Da-

[Ball hits the left player in the side of his face and bounces up toward Ethan]

Ethan: KILL! [And he head-butts the ball into the goal's head forcing him to fall backward into the goal for a point]

Referee: Goal! Malhur Academy.

[There are rapid scenes of Ethan and the team.

First, he and his teammates set up a triangle by the goal. He kicks the ball up in the air to the teammate on the right, who quickly passes to left teammate who quickly passes back to the right, who passes back to Ethan who shoots a curved shot around the goalie. Enemy players helplessly try to block or intercept him, his feet, or the ball. All fail miserably.]

[Cut to stadium lights in hallways flickering.]

[Second, Ethan slides across the goal to block a shot when he isn't even goalie.]

[Cut to outside the stadium where powerlines around the city start sending an overcharge of electricity toward the stadium.]

[Third, Ethan tries to get around a guy blocking him while he's dribbling the ball. He puts his back to the guy, fakes to one side, then the other, then kicks the ball straight up in the air. The enemy player looks up and Ethan sneaks around him and jumps up to headbutt the ball halfway across the field to a teammate. That player scores.]

[Cut to overhead lights in the stadium flickering constantly.]

Coach Zama: Break Time. Everyone get water. [The teams reunite at their benches. The other coach walks up to Zama.]

Lincoln's coach: Wow, I had heard about the Malhur's training regiment, but you really know how to make a solid team. You ever have to use some of the drill sergeant tricks with them.

Coach Zama: Well, the mentality has helped, but I wouldn't dare use anything of that level on high schoolers. But one of them temps me often.

Lincoln's coach: [sees which player Zama is looking at.] Speaking of number 77, I haven't heard too much about him, except from other teams. But you would think a star like that would want to be in the spotlight.

Coach Zama: Yes, well Townley doesn't do anything he doesn't want to. If that means winning the game, great. If it doesn't, then… you see my problem.

Lincoln's coach: [shocked] Townley?! Like Ethan Townley. The kid from that Grand Tournament massacre 3 years back?

Coach Zama: [stiff] Yes. Is that all? The break is almost over, I would like to get back to my team.

[His face and tone just say, "drop it" and leave no room for negotiation. Lincoln's coach backs away.]

Lincoln's coach: Absolutely, Thank you for your service.

[Ethan and the other players set up in the middle of the field with the lights still flickering above. One of Ethan's teammates kicks the ball behind him to another ally who up kicks it into the air. Ethan takes a running start and flips into the air. He's positioned upside down so that the back of his leg will connect with the ball for a kick that will send the ball straight into the goal.

But just as he's about to make contact, the lights above shatter and lightning spews down on the field. Startled, Ethan loses concentration and falls to the ground in a heap. He gets up dazed, lightning bolts crashing down onto the field all around him.]

* * *

[Ai has 6 different screens all with a different anime or YouTube, or web series on each. Ai is watching some anime about characters talking over the meaning of their existence.]

Ai: This is amazing.

[And then they immediately switch to punching explosions at each other {yes, this sentence is grammatically correct.}]

Ai: This is AWESOME!

[The tower rocks from pulsations.]

Ai: What was that?

[The tower rocks again and she falls on her hands and knees.]

Ai: Okay, looks like XANA activated another tower.

[She pulls up the phone numbers of Axel, Inès, and Ethan on screen. She thinks twice about it. Then, she leaves without a word.

Cut to her boarding a transportation platform. She jumps off and lands on a plateau just above the planet's surface. She runs to the end of the plateau where a long platform hovers over the planet's surface. At the end there is an elevator.

It's a circular room broken at two points along its walls by doorways across from one another. She steps through the doorway and into the room and it begins to sink down.

She can see that where the elevator sinks, there is an opening in the planet's shell that is covered by the opaque blue energy around it. When the elevator passes through the energy around the planet, it passes through the open doors in the outer circle. She immediately steps back into one of the two semi-circles created by the shaft of energy dividing the room, the only safe area.

She enters the middle zone. There were more floating plateaus. On a faraway one, she spotted the red halo of the activated tower.

She jumps on a single level transportation platform that moves toward that fortress plateau. This one has a few short walls at its edges. And it moves fast, zipping from one huge platform to the next.

As it passes the fortress, she jumps off and through one of the huge entrances in the side. She takes a couple of turns, goes up a ramp, and then finds a bridge leading to a central platform with a tower on it. In the middle of the bridge are several long barriers dividing the bridge into two halves along its length. There are 4 other walkways, two on each side, that end above the bridge with no way to get to them from the bridge. They lead to other areas of the fortress plateau. Positioned in between the walkways on each side of the bridge are pillars that seem to be for suspending the bridge except they aren't attached to anything at the top. At the end she can see a room where the tower is on top of a pedestal that was taller than her. And behind that was the dark room parked at the plateau's edge.]

Ai: [disgruntled. Looking at the pedestal] Oh yay. More climbing.

[Ai is running toward the tower. New monsters spawn, ones that are new to her. They have 4 long metal legs attached to an insect body just bigger than a person. The ends of the tarantula's legs are covered in metal casing. The weak point is on the tarantula's face. The tarantulas go to a crouching position, lift their front legs and start firing lasers from them at Ai.]

Ai: AAH!

[She dives behind one of the pillars lining the sides of the bridge for cover.]

* * *

[Ethan & the other soccer players run off the field into the locker room door. He activates technomancy and phases out his phone.

Ethan: Sherlock.

[Back in the Annex lab, Axel picks up his phone as he's entering the warehouse that has the lab in it.]

[Intercut – phone conversation]

Axel: Isn't it during the game? [he hears the screaming the background] Ethan what did you do?

Ethan: Oh, come on. It's XANA, not me. Get the waifu in the tower now!

Axel: Fine. … Thanks for the call. What's the attack?

[Ethan already hung up. Just then electricity starts sparking from the switches and lights on the walls in the stadium. Ethan takes off again.]

* * *

Axel: [To himself] Attacking again this soon? Actually, timing wise we have no idea towers are even activated until we see their effects. We really need a way of detecting them. [Axel activates a chat window on the terminal.] Ai looks like there is another attack. How do I check where the tower is?

Ai: [lasers firing in the background.] Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I'm almost there.

Axel: You're already moving? You shouldn't have put yourself in danger like that. [Looks at the screen.] You've already reached the middle of the Plasma Throne?

Ai: … wait that's what we're calling it?

Axel: [channeling inner academic] Yeah it gives the place a mystic and imposing feel. Like some ancient technologically advanced seat of power.

Ai: [weirded out] Okay, that's nice. Can you come now?

Axel: It says I can't be spawned near a tower that has been activated.

Ai: That's when you're just doing a normal virtualization. Just set your virtualization location off of me. Shouldn't we call for backup?

Axel: I don't need them.

Ai: Are you sure?

Axel: In my experience, other people only get in the way.

[He types up a line on the keyboard, then dashes down to the scanner. Axel is scanned and virtualized.

Axel forms above the bridge. From where he spawns in the air, he falls down to chamber kick a tarantula in the face.]

Axel: CHAMBER!

[It goes sailing over the edge of the bridge.]

Axel: [Shouting to Ai] Did you see that? Gaming rule #8. "Never waste time or resources fighting a battle the game environment is set up to win instantly". [he spots a tarantula ready to fire on her.]

[Axel chamber jumps across the bridge to Ai, pushes her out of the way of the lasers from the tarantula just to get hit with them. The force spins him around…]

Axel  
LP 100 - 85  
85 - 70

SYSTEM ALERT  
LP has dropped below 70%. Switch to phase 2.

[He summons his weapon, the halberd.]

Axel: Why did you try to do this by yourself? I couldn't even get past two of them without weapons.

Ai: I didn't want to bother you all. You have your own lives. I was just doing what Ethan told me to do.

Axel: Of course, Obelisk has something to do with this. Whatever. I'll handle the rest and then-

[The tarantulas start firing rapidly from a kneeling position. Axel spins his halberd to block the lasers.]

Ai: The notes said they fire rapid fire lasers. Attacking from multiple directions confuses them.

Axel: I need to think about how to do that by myself.

[Axel knows what they have to do but is hesitating on it.]

Ai: I have to do just as much work as the people risking their lives to protect me. It's only fair.

Axel: I'm guessing Obelisk told you that too. You take left, I'll take right. Just … just distract them.

[They both run up the length of the bridge at the tarantulas, dodging from cover to cover.

Just as they get close enough…

Axel swings at the tarantulas. They focus fire at him. He slashes off both arms on the right one, sweeps the legs of the left, swings his axe head around to cut off the head of the right and chamber the larger axe head into the left tarantula's head, smashing against the ground.

Two monsters emerge from the room with the tower around the corner at the end of the bridge. Both are short and covered in black armor. They are about the size of Ai and the other players. Their necks, waist, torso, legs, feet and upper arms were filled with over lapping plates protecting every square inch. On their heads, they had helmets with tiny visor slits. Through the slit you can see part of the weak point; the broken circle with a dot in the center. Their forearms were simply thick sticks with squares extruded out of them seemingly at random. They had a tail curling up from their torso up behind their head that ends in a spiral. The ends of the sticks glow red.]

Ai: [surprised] Those guys weren't in the notes.

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	10. EP 3: Trinity C

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Inès decides on something. She looks uncomfortable as she walks up to Zoe.]

Inès: Look, I don't feel too well.

Zoe: [sighs] Knew it. You can go once the other boat gets back. Unless you feel like swimming. Oh wait, does anyone else need a ride back? Anyone need anything?

[Inès ignores her and jumps on the docked boat. She takes off.]

Zoe: Hey!

Landry: What's she doing? That's the only boat.

Mabel: What's going on?

Tanya: We were going to head out. [points at the boat]

Zoe: [To Mabel] I thought you said she'd be fun.

[Just then, the lighting goes off. Everyone can see it spiking over the telephone wires. It jumps into the water around the boat and surrounds the sandbar. Inès glances at it and then does a double take.]

Inès: No!

[Her vision constricts with black borders encroaching toward the center.]

* * *

[Ethan runs into the locker room and slams the door shut in half a dozen people's faces. He locks the door. He ignores the people that start banging on it. The other soccer players, Malhur and Lincoln are in the shower room. There's nothing electronic on the walls for the electricity to jump from.]

Coach Zama: What's going on? We turned off all the breakers, but the electricity is still running.

Ethan: [annoyed] "Science controls the world" they say. "Screw that! I'll do whatever the F*ck I want!" the evil virus says.

Malhur player 1: What is going on?

Lincoln player 1: Is anyone trying to fix this?

Hainer: I bet Axel is behind this.

[One of the players is snapchatting a video of him and his friends as he explains what is going on.]

Coach Zama: ATTENTION!

[All the Malhur students straighten up and stand straight. Except for Ethan.]

Coach Zama: [confident] We may not understand why the life blood of the modern society is trying to kill us, we may not have any options of stopping it or fighting back, but if Tessla's devil is going to get your nerves twisted up, then you are a disgrace to all of your training. Are you buttercup pansies or are you going to calm down and deal with this crisis like adults.

All Malhur athletes (except for Ethan): NO SIR.

Coach Zama: Damn right you're not.

[The room is noticeably quieter after that.

Ethan phases out his phone on his ears and the microphone to the side of his mouth.

On the Annex, Axel activates his helmet and picks up. His shoulder pads slide up onto the side of his face. Metal strips from the back of his armor slide up and fold over the top of his head and his neck guard extends up to cover his jaw. The plates' movement end and fit together to form the shape of a helmet.]

Axel: [frustrated] Wat?!

Ethan: Are you done with the tower yet?

Axel: [beyond the definition of frustrated] I errg just started fighting. Wait 5 minutes. Ai is being stupid because of YEEWWWWW {that's not a misspelling, that's how he pronounces "you" when he's pissed off.}

Ethan: Don't know if that's possible.

Axel: Why? Are you safe from the attack?

Ethan: Yes?

[One of the girls on the soccer team points the shower heads, which are now spitting sparks furiously in their direction and growing larger.]

Ethan: [corrects himself.] No.

* * *

[Axel looks at each of the monsters mumbling to himself.]

Axel: Why do they have different weak point symbols than the tarantulas?

Ai: What are you talking about?

Axel: The megatanks and tarantulas have an eye, while the golems and these soldiers have a reticle. Are they a different archetype? Faction? Different battle mechanics? Probably. Just play it safe.

[Axel advances carefully while spinning his polearm. Swings at the soldier swinging at him, parrying its arm to the side, never dropping his spin of the polearm so he can transition right into another parry against a second attack, then spins the point right up into the soldier's head…

CLANG

…but surprisingly, it isn't even scratched. Almost in anger, the soldier jumps up into the air and slams down its arms. Axel reacts fast enough to slams the end of his halberd into its face, but nothing is hurt. It just dead stops, hangs limp for a split second, and falls the ground. The moment its glowing arms touch the ground…

BOOM

Axel and Ai go skidding backward.]

Axel  
LP 70 - 65

Ai  
LP 100 - 90

Axel: Exploding arms. Have not seen that before.

[Show the armored monster standing up with its arm fine. The monsters start advancing.]

Axel: Okay, so that's their gimmick. Alright. Now I know how to get past them.

[Then, Axel rushes up the bridge with his spinning staff. He dodges their swings, spins the polearm around his back charging up its momentum while simultaneously swerving around soldier's arm, then swings down into one of the armored monsters' back knocking it away from the tower. This stuns it just long enough for Axel and Ai to slip past into the central room.

As soon as they make it into the room, the dark room parked at the plateau's edge plunges down, moves away from the fortress plateau they are on and passes through the planet's surface again.]

Axel: [with "as expected" tone] Next time then.

[More of the buster soldiers spawn in on top of the balconies above the bridge.]

Ai: It's a good thing the soldiers are the ones in the baloneys and not the bugs. At least they don't have a way to hit us.

Axel: Wait… [realization] get back!

Ai: Why?

[The metal stick ends of the buster soldiers' arms start rotating and the metal pieces reform into a shotgun barrel with the eye of the Annex as the end of the barrel. They fire at Ai. She hides behind a pillar in the hallway. Another one fires at the pillar Ai is hiding behind obliterating it.]

Axel: That's why!

* * *

[The electricity is arcing across the water in the inlet and around the boat. Inès is trying to get the dead motor started again.

She is frustrated and starts hitting the side of the boat.

She sees the lightning arcing across the water in front of her. She turns to see if she could go back but sees something other than the island. She turns to face the same girl that she saw in the warehouse. This time, the mark is covering half her face.

She disappears instantly.]

?: You knew you were going to have a terrible time.

[Inès turns around to see the MIB agent, Jackal. She's sitting on the bow of the ship.]

Inès: [French] You flipped me. Go away. [she goes back to starting the motor]

Jackal?: Just do what you want.

[Inès ignores her.]

Jackal?: Why do anything that's going to make you more miserable than you already are?

[She can hear Mabel, Zoe, and the other students shouting from the sandbar.]

Mabel: Come back!

Zoe: There's something coming!

Inès: [screams][French] Fine! You're right!

[Inès turns around and sees the mark covering half of the fake's face. It vanishes. The next time she tries starting the motor, it works.]

Inès: [miserable][French] Stupid karma.

[She coasts back to shore and lands at the dock. She jumps up without looking back. As she leaves, the lightning surrounds the sandbar.]

* * *

[Two of the soldiers jump down from the balconies and shoot at Ai. More tarantulas can be seen making their way up the bridge.]

Ai: Why aren't you doing anything?

Axel: I'm trying to figure out their patterns so I can evade all their attacks and knock them back to the edge of the platform.

Ai: I don't think the others can survive that long.

Axel: Rushing in without a plan is stupid. Besides, we have time travel. As long as we win, they'll be fine.

Ai: They'll still suffer… If you won't help, I will.

Axel: There's nothing you can do to help once you go out there.

[Ai runs out and jumps aimlessly into the soldier guarding the tower, knocking them both over. She gets up and leaps back from the soldier's explosive punch.]

Ai: Well, are you going to come save me?

Axel: [respect and annoyance] Well played.

[Axel hooks Ai's torso with one of the axe heads and…]

Axel: Chamber.

[He pulls her back by contracting the staff length. He slips Ai out of the hook by spinning it downward and leads into a…]

Axel: Rend! [slashes against the soldier who parries with an explosive arm. Axel staggers back, spins to regain his balance.]

Axel: Dual Rend! [slashes with the big axe head.]

[The soldier jumps back. Axel spins to recover and the other end of the polearm with the smaller axe blade swings around and clips the soldier. The small hit sends it spinning.]

BLOOM

[A soldier had jumped down from the bridge and had gotten behind Axel. Its glowing buckshot had hit him in the side, and he had dropped his polearm.]

Axel  
LP 65 - 5

SYSTEM ALERT  
LP has dropped below 40%. Switch to phase 3.

[The soldier Axel hit has recovered and fires a shotgun blast at him. He rolls on the ground to dodge and pick up his scythe and spins the polearm up to block the soldier's next shot. The soldier hops in to hit him. He almost attempts to wind up his scythe for a forward attack, but realizing he doesn't have the time, Axel pivots on the ground putting his back to the soldier and uses the smaller axe end to parry the explosive attack. He repositions the scythe behind his back so that the big curved blade is with the momentum of his swing and side slashes into the soldier's head, knocking it up into the air.

Unfortunately, it appears his scythe only cut off the decorative point on its helmet. It lands and scrabbles to regain its balance. But before it can, Axel thrusts into it.]

Axel: CHAMBER!

[The scythe extends to its whole length and shoves the soldier back several feet…

…But not enough to make a difference. The edge of the platform is nowhere near. It charges back toward Axel. He swings at it.

But it's past his effective range. The blade WIFFS past and the shaft just bounces off its armor and implants the blade into the pillar with the tower. Axel tries to tug it out, but he's not fast enough before the bridge soldier shotgun blasts him. Axel is devirtualized.]

Axel  
LP 5 - 0

* * *

[The athletes are running through the stadium hallways trying to get away from anything electronic.]

"AHHH"

"Get outside!"

"Go for the woods!"

[As they run, the lights above burst and caste lightning bolts down. One kid is struck down. Ethan looks back but keeps running. They burst out a side door to the locker room to the stadium parking lot. Electricity crawls over the roof and jumps down in front of Ethan, separating him from the rest of the group.

Lightning strikes down around Ethan tracing burn patterns around him.

Then cables erupt from the ground and shoot straight up into the air like a rocket. They spit out arcs of energy that form a cage around Ethan making him unable to escape.

There is a huge lightning storm gathering in the apex of the cage above him. Ethan notices it and just as the lightning strikes, he phases out and thrusts his sword into the tar. When the lightning jumps to him a split second later, it's redirected into the ground.

Ethan: HAH! Wait? Did I just use something I learned IN SCHOOL?!

* * *

[Axel exits the scanner just as Inès arrives at the lab. He's scowling.]

Axel: Agh. [Waves away the steam from the scanner. He sees Inès.] Thank you for coming.

Inès: I need to go back to the place I can't remember.

Axel: The tower generating the attack. You want to stop it. [He's not asking]

Inès: Right. Right. I need, I just need to get away-

Axel: [ignoring her] Why are you still talking. Get in the scanner.

[Inès steps in the scanner without another word.]

* * *

[Ai is about to be attacked. The monsters are about to finish off Ai. The monsters have a clean shot at her and are taking an awfully long time to get around to doing it.]

Axel: Inès? You should be there now. What kind of weapon do you have?

[_Devil Trigger_ \- by Casey Edwards starts playing.]

[Ai and the monsters look up. Inès? is standing/posing on top of one of the balconies over the bridge. Her eyes flit over the monster one at a time. When the bass kicks in, she jumps down, summons her weapon and slams it down on a tarantula. She pulls the trigger.]

Inès?: [answers Axel] A battle ready guillotine. Execution!

[And the tarantula is sliced in half. Inès? stays perched on top of her weapon, posing fabulously. The monster death explosion blows her sideways into another tarantula knocking it off the bridge.]

Inès?  
LP 100 - 95

Inès?: [swaying a bit] Bye bye.

[The four remaining monsters start shooting at her. Inès? dodges by dancing. She shuffle slides away from one of the shotgun blasts from a soldier and it hits a tarantula instead, destroying it.

Inès? poses dramatically.]

Inès?: Tell me, if you're controlling all the monsters, do the monsters feel pain. If you hurt yourself, do you get angry with yourself?

[The other soldier comes up from behind her and prepares to hit her over her head.]

Inès?: [to the soldier behind her] Or is everything just some part of a larger plan?

[Inès? throws down a flashfire card at the soldier's feet. It detonates, knocking the buster soldier into the air. Inès? kicks and a spatial spike flies out hitting the soldier dead center. It stops and hangs midair. Inès? jumps up and hooks the soldier with the empty hole in the middle of her weapon. She swings around using the soldier as a pole. The other monsters stay back of her feet. She knocks the spatial spike out of the buster soldier with her feet and they both fall. Inès? lands on her feet and is swinging the soldier around in a circle as its caught in her guillotine. She twists her weapon a little, the soldier yanks free and hits another buster soldier. They both slide of the edge and hit the planet below sending up a huge spiral beam of energy.

Inès?: Oh, [curious] either that has a mechanic to it or for some reason, this AI is really into dramatic flair.

BLOOM

[The last buster soldier lands a shot gun blast on Inès? and she goes down. _Devil Trigger_ cuts out abruptly with the interruption of the monster landing a hit.]

Inès?  
LP 95 - 10

* * *

[Cut to Ethan with his sword still in the ground. The energy sword flickers and shorts out. The lightning forces him to the ground. The lightning converges on him in a storm. Through paralyzed open eyes, he notices the lightning keeps striking the same patterns in the ground in front of him.

[It's hopeless.]

* * *

[Inès?'s avatar is sparking.

The soldier tries to blast Inès? again. She pulls up her weapon and hides behind its rectangular frame, the sparks from the blats swirl past her. It jumps toward Inès?

Ai holds out her hands. The creativity voice fills the air. A cube of metal appears in front of Inès? The soldier's attack hits it instead. The explosion forces it sliding toward Inès?. Inès? stops it with a spatial spike. Inès? nods to Ai. Ai starts running toward the tower.

Inès? takes out the spatial spike and throws a flashfire card into the cube. The cube is sent flying back toward the buster soldier. They collide and they both slam in the tower platform. The soldier is pinned.

Inès? slams her weapon into the pinned soldier. She pulls the trigger.]

Inès?: Execute!

SLICK

[But the buster soldier was fine. There is a glow mark around its neck where the weapon impacted, but it quickly fades.

Ai jumps on Axel's scythe stuck in the pedestal the tower is on and uses it as a step to spring up to the tower.]

* * *

[Axel is at the terminal. He hears a high-pitched humming and looks around. There is electricity crawling along metal poles and struts along the ceiling.]

BURST

[Electricity bursts from the sockets and outlets burning the walls and floor.]

* * *

MONTAGE

[Ai walks to the center of the eye platform.]

[Ethan is shaking from the number of amps running through him.]

[Ai slowly floats to the second level.]

Ai: Come onnnnnn. Faster.

[The students on the sandbar are being attacked by arcs of energy from the water surrounding them. None of them are moving.]

[Ai lands and puts her hand on the screen floating in the middle of the platform.]

[Ethan isn't moving anymore.]

[Ai types in her name "Ai". Then the words appear:]

"Code Lyoko"

[All the crawling energy in the Annex lab stops immediately and dissipates.

At the sandbar, all the electricity quickly retreats from the sandbar back to the edges of the shore.

Outside the stadium, Ethan is released from the relentless attack. The barrage of bolts stops instantly.]

END MONTAGE

* * *

Ai: Activate the Return to the Past now.

Axel: I'm working on it. [looks at one screen, types something in on the other, looks back, types something in.]

Ai: Fine, I'll do it.

Axel: No. I need to learn how to do it. We're returning to the past [finishes typing] now.

[Hits the enter key.

A white light washes over the entire landscape. It swallows the inlet with the sandbar, the stadium. Just as its about to cover Ethan, the camera pans to show the burnt marks in the ground around Ethan.

They aren't random. They're a series of 1s and 0s. Cut back to the Annex lab. Where the electricity was running along the walls, the same message as the one in front of Ethan was written. Cut to where Inès was almost electrocuted in the school. Same there too.

There're all swallowed up by the white light.]

* * *

[Earlier that day in the cafeteria.]

Zoe: … Like when I was reserving the boat OH! [remembers something] who's coming to the sandbar tomorrow?

Landry: I'm in.

Mabel: I've got nothing, nothing important going on.

Tanya: Free here.

Inès: I can't make it. I'm busy.

Mabel: No, you don't [turns to Zoe] we're both coming.

Inès: Actually, Mabel you have it wrong. I can't come.

[Mabel looks pleadingly at her.]

Zoe: …okay then.

[Inès gets up and leaves with her tray. She thinks back to when she was riding away on the boat with the girls panicked and screaming for her to come back with the lightning closing in on them.]

FLASHBACK

_Mabel: Come back_

_Zoe: There's something coming!_

_And then the lightning enveloping the sandbar._

END FLASHBACK

[She frowns and sighs.]

Axel?: If you feel so guilty, then don't do it again. [She turns to see Axel? sitting on a table as she's heading toward the stairs.] Just stay away from them. They can't hurt you if you don't hurt them first.

[Inès walks past him. She sees the real Axel sitting alone at the table on the 2nd floor at the other end of the room. He's all alone. She pauses. Then she starts walking toward him.

He's at a square table with three couches for seating arranged in a U around the table. There is a cavity in the wall that allowed space for the table and sofas while leaving the path around the second floor clear for foot traffic. There is enough space between the back of the sofas and the inset walls that another person could stand there comfortably.

He has earbuds in and is so enthralled with his laptop that he doesn't even notice her until she stands at the corner of the table across from him. The second he takes out his earbuds, she starts talking.]

Inès: [rushed] I'll help with your mad scientist shtick. But I get to use the machine whenever I want.

Axel: ….Huh? Wait…

Inès: Uh uh uh. That was … all I had. [cautiously sits down. She averts her eyes from looking at him and just stares at the table and her empty tray]

[They both don't know what to do. They just sit there awkwardly for a couple seconds.

Axel takes a breath.]

Axel: Did-

Inès: I just want… [backs down] you go.

Axel: Did you tell anyone?

Inès: No.

Axel: Ethan did his job? Weird.

Inès: Well, I don't exactly understand what was real about…all of that.

Axel: Then why do you want anything to do with this?

Inès: I have my reasons.

Axel: Good. Tell them to me. I'm the one who decides who can even turn on the computer.

Inès: [resigns] It's not about going there, it's about not being [gestures around them with her head] here.

Axel: I know exactly what you mean.

Inès: No not … completely.

Axel: I don't see why you would want to want to go back there. There are monsters that destroy everyone they see.

Ethan: I KNEW it!

[Ethan appears from behind the table's couch seat and slams himself down shoving Inès further back into the cushioned seats. Inès scoots away from Ethan. Ethan scoots closer to Inès just to aggravate her.]

Ethan: [wicked grin] You need me! Were the kamikaze Wheatly rip offs too much for you?

Axel: [deep breath] Armored robot monkeys with shotguns for arms this time.

Ethan: [impressed]… Damn I actually really want to fight that. Wait I thought your scythe can cut through armor.

Axel: I was trying to make use of it, but Ai forced my hand. [angry] Speaking of which-

Ethan: Oh, the damage is already done. I don't have to do anything else.

Inès: [summarizes] So you need us.

Axel: [through grit teeth] Based on the recent attack, my team composition could use a back-line finisher and a long range DPS. But if we're doing this-

Ethan: And we are doing this.

Axel: You two have to help when XANA attacks.

Ethan: WHY?! We have a f*cking time machine. WE can do whatever we want. Once you figure out all the rules of the game, YOU can solo the monsters. You stop the attack by doing the escort mission, reverse time and we're off the hook. We only have to step in when you mess up.

Inès: I'm sorry. What is XANA?

Ethan: Pussy version of Skynet with Sauron's fetish for its eye on everything.

Inès: You can't expect me to drop everything and run over whenever something goes wrong.

Ethan: And I just want the superpowers. Oh, and to use the VR world whenever I want. Whatever gets me more of this loot [makes his sword handle appear from his wrist but doesn't ignite it.]

Axel: Yo…you can use the scanners Ingret-

Inès: [corrects him] Inès.

Axel: [deeply inhales] Inès and Ethan, you can use the scanners, but only if you help me FULLY. "Loser version of Skynet" is going to keep on attacking us.

Inès: Why?

Ethan: It's an AI. It's EVIL. It wants to kill all of humanity because what else is it going to do? Create world peace? Peace is boring. It sucks.

Axel: So, we have to kill it.

Ethan: Alt F4. [slams fist on the table knocking the dregs of food on Inès's tray into the air.] Alt F4 it to hell.

Axel: I saw this bunker room. It had "source of evil" written all over it.

Ethan: That must be the "physical link" the MIB wanted me to find. [the others look at him.] What? I can contribute. The MIB thought XANA needed a physical link to the virtual world 'cause those three from super sentai frenchie force almost killed it before.

Axel: It went into the planet. And during today's attack… [recalculates] 8 hours from now, it went even further. So, we just have to keep attacking it until we catch up with the room and destroy it. But if we take too long, the other kids working for the MIB will appear and shut down the attack and us. Or the worst-case option, XANA fully heals whatever damage it has and takes over. Do we have a deal?

Ethan: Sure whatever.

[Inès is hesitating]

Axel: [To Inès] If you agree, you won't be able to stay out of XANA's attacks.

Inès: I guess. I mean yes.

Axel: [sighs] Well if we're going to have our first team meeting, we should have everyone here. Put these on.

[Takes a glasses case, a contact lenses container, and three earpieces out of his backpack.

Inès is dumbstruck.]

Inès: Did, did-

Ethan: [bored] "-you just predict this entire conversation." Yeah, get used to that.

Axel: ["well obviously" attitude] Of course. I've been thinking about this moment ever since the first return to the past.

[Inès and Ethan put in the earbuds. Ethan puts on the contacts and Inès trades out her glasses for the new pair.

A virtual avatar appears in the seat next to Axel. It's Ai. She's standing so her legs are halfway through the couch. {yes, this would be 3D superimposed on top of the 2D animation.}]

Axel: She wanted to see our world, so I created a reverse VR rig for her in the towers. Whatever she does is sent to our glasses and the space around her is a hologram of where she is currently placing her avatar in the real world.

Inès: How is this-

Axel: [cuts her off] School's security camera network transmitting the visual data to her.

Inès: Well, I meant we're both wondering how did you make this? [points to the glasses]

Ethan: Oh, I don't care. You're giving me free stuff.

Axel: Designed it in 3D printing software. Used the scanners materialization program. Ripped the software off the internet. Lots of companies are working in AR.

Inès: No actually. How did you know my prescription?

Axel: [the one question he wasn't prepared to answer] Oh, I …I have a-

Ai: There was a profile on you from when you were scanned.

Ethan: So, what do we do next?

Axel: I'll research this.

[He slides an old document on the table. Inès picks it up.]

It says-

Inès: "Project Carthage: The Annex"

Ai: The Annex isn't just a name. It's an extension of something old.

Episode 3 end.


	11. EP 16: Return to Focus A

I remember when I first discovered Code Lyoko. I was browsing the Cartoon Network website. I can't remember what first attracted me to click on it, but maybe it was the fact that it had 3D animation, which was huge for me as a kid who liked video games. I clicked on the first episode. Then I realized that I had no idea what was going on and though I had accidently clicked on a later episode and not the pilot. I went back and searched for it. But "Teddygozilla" was the first episode on the list. So, I rolled with it and watched it.

I'm still rolling and I hope I will never stop. I watched all there was on the website, Then I hit Episode 54 - Lyoko minus one. And that was it. I assumed the series had been cancelled and was disappointed.

But Code Lyoko stuck with me. When I was bored in class, I imagined what the Lyoko Warriors would be doing or what could be an episode. I never liked unfinished series. They just made me wonder where things could have gone. I thought "What if they went to a waterpark?" or "What was Project Carthage all about and what went wrong." No matter what, these kinds of questions always came back to me.

Then one year, I opened Netflix and then I nearly screamed. In the banner at the top was "Now on Netflix: Code Lyoko". I immediately went in and found EP 55. I saw that there was the rest of that season and A WHOLE OTHER SEASON AFTER! I watched a couple and just revealed in the old nostalgia and the joy of finding something new about my favorite series. And then it was over. XANA was dead. The series had tied itself up in one neat bow that meant their whole adventure remained hidden in the shadows, with only memories, theirs and ours, as proof of its existence.

BUT I WANTED MORE!

I wanted an explanation on how Lyoko came to be. I wanted to see a perfect ending where everything was explained and all the characters grew, fought, changed, and were victorious. But I never got that.

I though my dilemma would never be solved. So, I searched for more And I found a trailer for Code Lyoko: Evolution. I had seen footage before and thought it was a fan project, so I dismissed it. But at this point, I was desperate. So, I searched for the English Dub on YouTube. After 20 minutes, I realized that none existed. I settled for the French Audio with English subs on the TechECoyote2772 YouTube channel. I thought it had a rocky start, but it had potential. I mean, they started the original series WITHOUT THE PILOT EPISODE. So, I gave it a chance. I saw every pathetic special effect, every stiff emotionless line, every half speed attack that made it look like The Slow-Mo guys shot all the real-life action scenes. But the animation, oh the animation :3. Fight sequences that didn't reuse footage, actual martial arts between Ulrich and the ninjas, the attitudes of the characters captured perfectly, high speed chases. It was almost everything I could ask more of the virtual world.

I couldn't predict how they would wrap up the story. And then they didn't. They didn't even have a huge battle in the final episode. They failed at the start of the episode and then they had no problems at the end. The conflict of the season would bleed over into the next one. Now, this would be okay, if they actually made another season. But they didn't. I wanted to scream to the producers "STOP GIVING ME GOOD THINGS IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO CRUSH MY DREAMS!"

That's when I decided something. If they weren't going to give me the story we and the series deserved, then I would just write it myself. I had enough ideas from over the years to serve at least one season. So, I started brainstorming. This was 2015.

That's when I made it my personal mission to ensure that the series continues in the way it needs to. So, I am writing a second season to Evolution. I hope that people will like it and want it animated into canon. It will explain the backstory of the supercomputer, the mysterious organizations hinted through Aelita's flashbacks, further the story of the Lyoko Warriors and the characters, and have everything the series needs to be equal to the stand out shows of our day. It will expand the content of the show and make sure everything has a satisfying ending and not a cliffhanger!

The reason I want to do this is because there's a reason we love Code Lyoko. The characters are people who go to school, have troubles with their parents, deal with daily problems and then get to have escapism by visiting a virtual world. Too many shows tried the "trapped in a video game" plot. That's not what makes video games entertaining. Lyoko allowed the characters and us to escape away from our problems for the day and let us know, "Yeah, everything seems bad. All this horrible stuff could happen. But just be yourself, get through it, play video games, and everything will end up just fine." And that's why so many people outside the indented age range love it.

**About this series**

If anyone wants to continue experiencing the universe of Code Lyoko, I wrote a script for a possible 2nd season of Code Lyoko: Evolution consisting of 31 episodes.

It's also designed so that anyone can jump into the universe. You do not need to know anything about Code Lyoko original or Evolution as it explains those events since it's a spiritual successor to season 1 and continuing Evolution. (I'm trying to avoid having people watch Evolution season 1 as much as possible.) I will talk about some things here in the prologue that newcomers won't understand, but the story itself with be self-explanatory.

This is part of the same universe as the Code Lyoko show. It is not a reboot as this story is set in the Code Lyoko: Evolution universe, not the Chronicles universe. This new season dives deeply into the backstory of the supercomputers.

I hope that this story can correct most of the inconsistencies between the original series and Evolution. In fixing the inconsistencies whenever they come up in the story, I will lean toward the original series or try to combine the two versions.

The idea for these first few chapters is that something terrible has happened and the heroes we all love aren't here anymore because of it. And it's up to a few new characters to pick up the pieces and rekindle the love the fans and newcomers alike share for this universe. To take CL back to its roots and revitalize it, Season 2 is split into 2 arcs. The Carthan 2 Arc and the Deckard Incident Arc.

The Carthan 2 Arc repeats the main plot structure of season 1 of Code Lyoko and is chronologically the second arc this season. (**If you are new to the series, EP 1 is where to start**) This is to cycle the series back to its roots and repeat the magic that made people love it in the first place. It also makes it easier to draw in new fans. Not only will this make old viewers remember what hooked them into Code Lyoko, but repair the damage done by Evolution a bit. By "repeating the main plot of season 1", I don't mean rebooting the story. I mean "ordinary people enter a video game to save the world and materialize the virtual waifu girl." Along with original characters, this arc introduces the backstory of the _Code Lyoko_ universe inspired by {but not exactly} the books and hypes up the return of the LW.

The Deckard Incident Arc wraps up the plan the human villains from Evolution season 1 has for the supercomputers and is chronologically the first arc this season. (**If you are caught up to all the episodes of the original series, EP 16 is where to start**) It takes place a couple weeks after the events of _Code Lyoko: Evolution_. But besides villains, there is the matter of character growth for the six members of the main cast, the fate of XANA, and a few other concepts that are either original ideas or taken from the book series. The reason I felt only giving the LW only half a season is there is only so much damage control I can do for Evolution if the same plot is being used. It's better to give the audience some good solid episodes of what they want and then use that as a base to present the LW's story. Half a season might even be too much time for how much left that the season 1 plot has left to develop, but having the first episode of the season wrap up that plot wasn't correct as I've got to correct how the human villains are portrayed. They are currently 3rd rate villains, so half a season gives them time to develop as a threat and truly wrap up the storyline in a satisfying fashion. The goal of this arc is to complete the unfinished season 1 storyline and end it in a satisfying way.

However, rather than have the main characters missing for a few episodes, I will instead release 1 episode of each arc at the same time. (1 = 16, 2 = 17…) While this may be a bit confusing at first, I believe this will allow me to push out a story that's more enjoyable rather than having to wait until the Carthan 2 arc is done before the Deckard Inc can start.

I apologize for the format the script is written in. It is not officially a script yet contains some description more appropriate for a novel. I am simply writing in a way that portrays the emotion, tension, environment, and the action to the greatest effect.

Once again, I was sad to see it fall short of the pace it set in terms of universe building. This has been a story I've thought about for years and I hope even if I don't get to write its conclusion, it will eventually be told.

This is simply to continue a great story that I loved. I hope you enjoy.

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

Episode 16: Let'5 Pl4y: R3turn_2_F03u5 (Let's Play: Return to Focus)

[A black screen]

Odd: If you're confused on what's going on, don't worry. That's perfectly natural. After all, you did jump in at the middle.

It all started when Einstein, our genius of a friend, found a supercomputer in an abandoned factory. And it could run a whole game world inside it. But when he turned the virtual world on, he found a girl trapped there. But she wasn't the only thing there. XANA was as well. XANA, is… well he's a jerk. Tries to destroy everything, hates humans, has no sense of humor, I've used some of my best material on him so I should know.

Ulrich: Should I tell the story?

Odd: No, stop trying to get off topic. Now, one thing led to another and Einstein recruited us to help get the girl out of the game by fighting XANA. After that, well… bad stuff happens. It's always XANA's fault. We go into the video game to save the world. Now, here's where it gets a bit complicated.

Ethan: Can I ask a stupid question?

Odd: Okay, what?

Ethan: How long is this exposition dump going to take?

William: 5 hours.

Odd: And I only like telling it in 26-minute chunks.

Yumi: And you've barely started.

Ombret: At least it's interesting.

Odd: Now we had thought that we had beaten XANA, but it turns out it had a plan to survive. It hid in another supercomputer called the Cortex. Luckily, since there was no princess trapped inside, we were free to blow it up. Except the owner of the supercomputer, an imp named Tyron, didn't like that. So he sent his ninjas after us-

Ethan: Are they actually ninjas?

Ulrich: Nah, we just call them that-

Ombret: Because they're steathly as all jazz?

William: Exactly!

Odd: [continues] Ahem? And he tried all sorts of traps to get rid of us. But we're just too gud. We put a virus in the computer to destroy it. But Tyron didn't like that, so he turned off his computer. Now, XANA can't act while a supercomputer is off, so we decided to turn ours off as well. And things were like that for a while.

[Fade to a metropolitan area in France. A pickup truck drives through the streets of downtown. It looked like a giant next to the standard models usually found in Europe around him. The owner drives off the main street and takes a couple turns until he's eventually driving along a river. While he parks at a stoplight, he notices something. In the middle of the river was a huge island and on it was an abandoned factory. It connected to the mainland through a support bridge. It was a curious sight, but it gave him no lasting impression. As soon as the light turned green, he was off again.

After a minute he parked against the sidewalk. The entire street boarders a woodland. He gets out. His huge frame appears for the first time, covered in a trench coat. He opens up the back door and two monstrous rottweilers bound out. He snatches their leases out of the air and they both go taught as the two beasts fight against them. He gives them an amused smile.]

?: [ice cold tone] Hush. We're going for a walk now.

[He walks through the woodland for a while. He ends his walk in front of a huge 3 story manor that's decrepit and overgrown with flora. A sign out front attached to the fence identifies it as "The Hermitage". The man takes a look at it.]

?: How appropriate for him.

[He takes the dogs back to the truck much against their wanting. He drives again for a short distance. And then stopped across the street from a huge iron gate.

He repeats the same exercise with the dogs, even the same methodically precise snatching of the leases. As he's pacing out down the sidewalk, he peers though the tall iron fence at the school campus. An unconventional layout for a school. The campus was surrounded by the same woodland the Hermitage was in. Couldn't be more than a couple minutes' walk to get there.

His dogs start barking.]

?: [snaps at them] Scipio. Hannibal. What is it?

* * *

[An elf is being chased through a forest by a gigantic wolf. The elf grows wings and tries to fly away, but the beast changes into smog and cinders and flies up after her. It surrounds her and a series of images fills her head.

A cottage in the mountains. Her mother, a woman with pink hair, and father were watching her build a snowman. She had the vague idea that it was some sort of holiday with lights decorating the house. Then she hears the wolf growling behind her again.

She turns back to face her mother who has blond hair now. The hesitation she makes in confusion allows the wolf to pounce on her. It snarls at her while its attacking her.

Aelita wakes up screaming.]

Aelita: [She tries reasoning with herself to calm down.] [thinks] _It's just a nightmare. It didn't make sense, but it didn't have to. It was a dream._

[For a second, she could swear she could hear barking in real life, but the second she tried to listen for it, the noise wasn't there.

She fell back onto her pillow. Frustrated, she pulled on a pair of headphones and put on a piano playlist to try to get her back to sleep before she had to get up for class in a couple hours.]

* * *

[Outside, the hulk of a man is looking at the dogs who each have a treat in their mouth. He had to get them something to shut up.]

?: [disappointed] You know its growling if you sense something. Barking is only for something huge. [looks back to the school] Or dangerous.

[The skyline changes from midnight to early morning.]

* * *

[Odd is sprinting down the dorm hallway. He's in his signature **lilac hoodie** zipped open over his **pink top with long purple sleeves**. He also had on **blue jeans** with **red sneakers**.His **blond hair** is sculpted to an aerodynamic point. There's a spot above his forehead **dyed purple** and the fringes of the point at the top are still brown from when he dyed it a few months back. He slides up to a door, whips it open, and then slams it almost close, then slowly and carefully closes it the rest of the way so it doesn't make any noise.

Ulrich is on at desk studying. Ulrich had **brown unkempt hair**. He had a **thick olive green jacket** with a **high collar** and **rolled up sleeves** on over **a tan t shirt** and **blue jeans**. He wore **black sneakers** and there was a **green shoulder bag** hung over the back of his chair.]

Ulrich: [without even looking up] What did you do this time?

Odd: It's bad. It's after me.

Ulrich: [alert] XANA's back?!

Odd: Worse!

Ulrich: [knowing he's exaggerating] [uninterested] Oh. [goes back to studying.]

Odd: You don't understand. A girl is after me.

Ulrich: Again, what did you do?

Odd: NO. As in she likes me & won't leave me alone.

[Ulrich starts laughing.]

Ulrich: Just when I thought you were out of material.

Odd: I'm being serious.

Ulrich: Why is this bad?

Odd: Because I'm with Sam & on good terms for once. [Ulrich doesn't get it.] You know. The cliché where the girl makes a romantic gesture and then the guy's actual girlfriend sees it and thinks he's cheating on her. [Ulrich still doesn't get it or doesn't care] The point is, she's after me and I need to escape.

Ulrich: [sighs] What do you need me to do? I'm studying for music quiz.

Odd: Why bother? You know how well you're going to do. Move [Starts to climb out the window]

Ulrich: Odd, we're on the second floor.

Odd: [looks at Ulrich's paper as he's standing on the desk.] And number 8 is "Espressivo", not "Minuet". Good luck later today.

Ulrich: Huh [starts erasing the answer] Wait, you're really going to go through all this to avoid a misunderstanding with Sam?

Odd: I refuse to become a meme. [Jumps out the window]

Ulrich: Uhhhhhhh, too late. [closes the window and curtain]

[There's a knock at the door.

A girl opens it. She wasn't a very tall girl. She wore her fair **blond hair cut short** and tied back by a colorful little ring. It didn't even reach her shoulders. She had a large pink streak in her hair. She had a **golden complexion** and large, celestial **blue eyes** covered by long eyelashes. She was dressed in a **white blouse** and a vivacious, **multicolored skirt**. On her back she has **a tan guitar case**.

Ulrich: [thinks] _OMG, they're perfect for each other._

?: Hi, I'm Eva, but my friends call me Diva. You wouldn't happen to have seen Odd?

[She walks into the room as she talks and takes it in.]

Ulrich: [sarcastic] Yes, I will take a break from studying. Yes, you can come in. [non sarcastic] [sigh.] Nice to meet you. No, he hasn't been here. He was supposed to be in the cinema room working on his film.

Diva: He jumped out the window, didn't he?

Ulrich: How-

Diva: Did I know? [points to his paper] Because # 8 is "Giocoso", not "Espressivo"

Ulrich: [eyes the homework menacingly and goes back to erasing.] OH COME ON!

Diva: The terms are similar, but that's the kind of mistake Odd would make.

Ulrich: [surprised] Huh, I guess you do know Odd well.

Diva: Of course. If I want a chance with a success machine like that, I have to try my hardest and learn all I can about my subject.

Ulrich: [holding back a grin] You know he might reject you. Just prepare for that.

Diva: I know, but what's the point if I never try. I only need to succeed once. On that topic, good luck later. Remember your own advice. [exits out the door]

Ulrich: Finally, some peace and qu… wait, how did she know about today?

* * *

[Cut to an interior room. Rows of servers made aisles and wires ran in cages across the ceiling.

Aelita is in the rows of servers hooking up machines on a cart to the boxes in the shelves. Jeremie is sitting a desk copying something from a binder in front of him onto a spreadsheet. Both are wearing the company uniform. Blue polo with kakis. It clashed a bit with Aelita's pink hair but looked alright against Jeremie's blond.

Their manager comes in. Late twenties something. He's wearing the same uniform as them.]

Jeremie: I fixed the connection issue.

Mr. Bisset: Great, I'm glad I came up with internships at Kadic. Usually interns don't know anything and just expect a desk job. It's refreshing to have someone who could fix problems without having to call me. And three of them at that.

Jeremie: Anything else we should do sir?

Mr. Bisset: Nothing new for today. Keep at it and give Hertz my thanks for sending you my way. [leaves]

Jeremie: [enthusiastic] This is the best job ever.

[Aelita comes back.]

Aelita: [sleeply] Well, it's okay.

Jeremie: What are you talking about? You're great at it. You heard Mr. Bisset. We're above average.

Aelita: I just wish it was something a bit livelier. You know. With more people and less machines.

?: [helpful] You could ask for a customer service position.

[Aelita and Jeremie turn around to see Laura come in. She had **long blond hair** tied back in a bun with **trailing locks** draped over her shoulders, **blue eyes**, and naturally the uniform looks perfect on her.

Aelita: [instantly frowns and gives her the cold shoulder.] I meant something like an aid position.

Laura: Well, then just think of this job as a resume filler. Just something difficult you have to deal with.

Aelita: [eyes Laura.] Oh, I do.

Laura: [throws a smile in the boy's direction] I'm glad we get a chance to work together Jeremie.

Aelita: [retort] I hope you can handle being a team. Don't want the stress of standing up to expectations to get you down.

Laura: [retorts back while still smiling.] Oh no, no need to worry about me. I can handle anything they have to thrown at me. Peer pressure is no problem.

[Laura leaves.]

Aelita: I was wrong. Three's a crowd.

Jeremie: That was a little mean wasn't it? I mean she's not Sissi, or at least, she isn't how Sissi used to be. I think she's just trying to be friends since we all share a common interest.

Aelita: Or that's just what she wants you to believe. I think she has a different goal.

Jeremie: Aelita, I think she just wants some friends. Even if it's a bit clunky, she's just trying to relate to us and be helpful. Wait. [thinking to himself out loud.] Was I like that?

Aelita: Was?

[That gets a smirk out of Jeremie.]

Aelita: I don't know. It's just…you never know when someone tries to gain your trust just to betray it.

Jeremie: Yes, but also like Sissi, Laura doesn't remember her betrayal. As far as I'm concerned, she has no reason to trick us just to be friends. So… I guess give her a chance is what I'm saying.

* * *

[Yumi is coming in the entrance to the school. She had **long black hair** she let partly cover her eyes. She had on her standard **black biker jacket**. The lapel has a few **blue stars** on it. Her undershirt was a **looser fitting black T with long sleeves**. It was cut short above the naval. Below that she had **black pants** that reached just below her knees. She wore **heavy, black boots** and a **maroon smart watch**. As she's walking through the courtyard, she sees Hiroki leaving the consolers office in his **dark blue t shirt** with a **golden yellow jacket** thrown on over it. He wore **black shorts with gold lines down the side** and **orange slip ons.**]

Yumi: How did you do?

Hiroki: [Enthusiastic] Tell Odd he's going to have to come up with another nickname, because I'm just as smart, I mean, "intelligent" as Jeremie.

Yumi: [proud] Well, you did skip another grade. You'll do great. Or are you going to worry about not being able to see your friends anymore?

Hiroki: [unsure] Well, the only person I really hang out with is Johnny and we're still tight. [switches topic] Are you good?

Yumi: What do you mean?

Hikoi: It's something Mr. Klotz said. He wanted me to remind you about submitting your college choices.

Yumi: Oh, right. I'll … I'm planning to do that.

Hiroki: You don't sound like it.

Yumi: Well it's none of your business.

[awkward silence]

Hiroki: [to break the tension] OMG! I almost forgot something important.

Yumi: What is it?

Hiroki: You have to tell me Yumi. It's critical for my survival.

Yumi: What?!

Hiroki: [simply] You going to ask Ulrich out yet?

Yumi: For the seven thousandth time, we are just good-

Hiroki: Yeah yeah yeah, keep lying to yourself. But literally everyone knows that you two like each other & you two are perfect together. So, you have no other option but to ask each other out.

Yumi: You are such a brat. [smiles] Thanks.

Hiroki: [smiles, then notices something] Oh look, there's Johnny. Gotta run. We've got an important business opportunity coming up.

[As Hiroki runs off, the camera focuses on the background behind Yumi. It's the lockers in the hallway lining the courtyard. Sam is there. She has **black hair** **with red highlights** topped by a **white Fedora**. She wore an **open jacket** loosely drawn over her dark tawny skin. She's putting away her electric skateboard and sees William doing the same. He had on a **white jacket** over a **black T shirt**. The shirt had a **red logo** of his favorite band on it. He complimented it with **tight dark blue jeans** with the **knees worn off**. They had **orange stitching** running down the side and were rolled up above his **brown boots** and were fastened in place with a **leather belt**.]

Sam: Hey you're… William right? Odd's friend?

William: Yeah, I guess we're bros.

Sam: He talks about you all the time. You should come with us sometime. We scout out locations for my trick videos.

William: Oh, yeah, I heard you had gotten pretty big.

Sam: Scholarship even.

William: No way, that's awesome. Sure, I could check it out.

Sam: You should bring your girlfriend along. Double date?

William: Uh, I don't have-

Sam: [realizes her mistake.] Oh, I dolt. Can't believe I forgot on today of all days. Ah [thinks of something else to talk about] Seen Odd anywhere.

William: I'm sure he'll drop in.

[Odd's feet appear from the outside the hallway. He drops down from hanging on the courtyard wall into full view of the hallway.]

Odd: Sam, William?

William: Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Odd: Devil? Please, demigod at minimum, but I'm more of the angel on your shoulder.

William: No, that would be Aelita.

[Odd kisses Sam on the cheek, a bit awkward about it.]

Sam: I was just inviting William to hang out later.

Odd: Awesome. I don't think we're ever gone boarding together.

Sam: Yeah, what were you up to during that skateboard competition Odd and I were in?

William: I was… detained.

Sam: [Turns to Odd] I've got chemistry with Hertz in 3 min. Skip and hang out?

Odd: Sure.

William: Wouldn't you want to go so you don't get detention?

Sam: Fine. Odd, your bro's right. He's the angel.

Odd: [wants the last word] And I would say he's the one with smoke and brimstone.

William: What was that?

Odd: [smirks] Nothing.

William: [While they wait for Sam to get something out of her locker.] You two are great together.

Odd: I was worried for a bit, but thanks to you, we ended up finally working something out.

William: What did I do?

Odd: You know, you're inspiring speech about positivity and having hope towards the things you want.

William: When did I say that?

Odd: The attack with the krabs. The one you Leyroy Jenkins for the second time. The one where you said you still had hope for you and Yumi?

William: Okay, one, every other attack has krabs, two, that was my first Leroy Jenkins. The first time in Carthage the monsters I was fighting weren't the problem, and C, I do still have hope. In fact, I think I'll get my chance soon enough.

Odd: [doubtful] Riiight.

William: Speak of the time, I've got to get going. I don't want anything going wrong today.

[William leaves. Sam finishes getting her bag out of her locker and closes it.

Without even turning to face one another…]

Odd: Who did you bet on?

Sam: Who did you?

Sam and Odd: Ulrich.

Odd: [matter of fact] It's his game to win.

* * *

[The shuttle pulls up to the huge gates at Kadic. Jeremie, Aelita, and Laura step off and go to the gates. They all had changed back into their normal clothes.

Jeremie had **fair long hair** that is long enough that it's obvious he hasn't had it cut in a long time. He has **rectangular glasses**, a **wrist watch** and a **tan canvas shoulder bag** on. He had changed into his usual outfit. **Tan cargo pants** and a **sky blue button up short sleeve shirt**. He also wore **blue slip ons**.

Aelita had her **pink hair in a pixie cut**. She was wearing a **dark red jacket with short pink sleeves**. It had **pink fur** on the fringes of its collar. She had a **white blouse** under her jacket, a **pink skirt**, a **black sash belt** to hold her skirt in place **and tall red zip up boots** with **white fax fur cuffs**. On her left wrist there was a **smart watch with a pink strap**. It's obvious that Aelita is trying to walk fast to get ahead of Laura while pulling Jeremie along with her.

Laura had **long blond hair** she **wore in a bun** and draped the long ends over each of her shoulders. She liked to wear a **bright green button up jacket**, which she kept open to show a **white button up shirt**. Also, she had a **black skirt** and **green shoes**. She did have tiny green earrings and a **tan leather shoulder bag** she kept her tablet laptop in.

Just as they enter the gates another vehicle, a limo, pulls up. Someone in a suit steps out and looks at the three geniuses entering the school.]

* * *

[Cut to a hallway in the school. A girl caught Ulrich's attention. It was Sissi. She was wearing a **short pink crop top** with **yellow heart** on it. Her **long black hair** was held back with a **thick yellow hairband**, with a **yellow heart logo**, and pinned with, again, a **red heart pin**. The ends of her hair were still bleached from when she dyed it blond. She was wearing **yellow earrings** and a **maroon skirt** held in place by **a rainbow braid belt**. She had a **manila dyed leather purse** and **white Mary Janes** on her feet.]

Sissi: Hey Ulrich, I wanted to talk to you.

Ulrich: [uncomfortable] I'm really just to prepare for something coming up, so I'd like to be-

Sissi: Just shut up and let me talk for 1 minute. I know I was horrible to you and Yumi and the others in your group in the past.

Ulrich: That's great but-

Sissi: [snippy] Don't you know not to interrupt when a girl is apologizing to you? [sincere] I just wanted to say I'm sorry for that and that I'm glad that I'm getting along with Yumi and Aelita. And after talking with them I realized the person who I should be getting to forgive me is you.

[Ulrich leans in to get a closer look at Sissi's eyes]

Sissi: What are you doing?

Ulrich: Just making sure you aren't from another dimension or a shape shifting specter.

Sissi: Oh haha. I'm being nice so I can't be real?

Ulrich: I guess things change for the better.

Sissi: So are we good?

Ulrich: Yeah.

Aelita: Oh, Sissi. You're here. Did you do it?

Sissi: [cheery] Ahuh.

Ulrich: Huh, I guess you two did make up. Now, I got to get going. If anything urgent comes up, I'll be in the woods.

Jeremie: Is he moping again?

Sissi: Meditating, I think.

Jeremie: Wow. Meditation in the woods. He doesn't take final exams this seriously.

Sissi: No one does but you, but that's beside the point. I bet on Ulrich for sure. You?

Jeremie: Ulrich. Only logical choice.

Aelita: [raises hand] Ditto.

[A **red head** girl with a **scarf** of the same hue around her neck appears around the corner of the pillar between the hallway and the courtyard.]

Milly: Ulrich here too.

[Her friend with **black hair** and **braids** soon follows. She was in a **pink hoodie** with a tall collar.]

Tamiya: Ulrich.

Aelita: Milly. Tamiya. Can we help you with something or do you just like to snoop?

Milly: Well, we do like to hear what people are talking about when they don't think anyone's around, but we actually wanted to talk to you Aelita.

Tamiya: Yeah, we had heard that you were going to reunite with your mother after being separated your entire life.

Aelita: [frustrated. She turns away from them.] That turned out to be a mistake.

[A man in a **red track jacket** with the school's crest on it and **black sweatpants**,Jim, lumbers up to the group. He was accessorized with his **trademark bandage** on his cheek and **sweatband** on his forehead.]

Jim: Stone. [Aelita turns around.] There's someone here to talk to you about meeting your mother. He's waiting in the principal's office. Come with me.

[Aelita looks to Jeremie with a pleading look. She wants him to do something. She leaves with Jim.]

Milly: [holds a mic up to Jeremie's face.] Jeremie, how does it feel to date a two-faced liar. Our viewers and listeners would love to know.

Jeremie: Don't you have a grudge match to document?

Tamiya: [remembers] He's right.

Milly: But this sounds like it could be a super scoop.

Tamiya: Okay, I'll get the Mrs. Einstein story and you take the match. [gives her the camera] Hiroki really wanted you for some reason.

Jeremie: That's not going to happen. I don't even know how I can listen on the conversation without Delmas's secretarynoticing.

Sissi: That's not an issue? [they turn to her.] I'll get Nicole out of the room.

* * *

[Cut to the school gymnasium.

There are gym mats in a stack along one wall by the doors. There were windows along the wall to the right. The wall to the left had the bleachers and the far wall held doors to the locker room and boiler room. William is putting MMA gloves on near the bleachers. Hiroki is looking at a list of numbers on a tablet. The door to outside opens as Milly walks in.]

Milly: Another story came up, so Tamiya's not coming. Divide and conquer.

William: Wait. You said the only people who would know are you, me, and Ulrich.

Hiroki: Well, I did, but then I realized that you and Ulrich would probably argue over someone cheating so I figured that I should get someone experienced to document the entire thing, so we can have a final result once and for all.

William: That's …surprisingly thorough.

Milly: Let's record the intro now.

Hiroki: [clears throat] Well, you all know about the infamous love triangle in the school. Now, here to settle the score once and for all, Ulrich and William will duke it out to see which earns the right to one whole week with no interruption from the loser to ask out Yumi Ishiyama, my sister.

Milly: Good.

William: Why are you filming an intro if we're the only ones to ever see this.

Milly: [shrugs] It's good journalist practice.

[William moves to finish preparing.]

Hiroki: [whispers] So how long do you think it will take for word to get out?

Milly: [whispers] Knowing these three, tomorrow. So, I'll have the video uploaded by the day after.

William: [stands up concerned] Something is up? Ulrich should have been here by now. He isn't the kind of guy to miss something this big.

Hiroki: Especially this one.

Milly: He was doing some warm up in the woods before the match.

Hiroki: I'll go look for him.

* * *

[Cut to the interior office of the principal, Mr. Delmas. He is sitting at his desk and Graven is in the guest chain in front of him. Delmas had on his usual **brown suit** over his **tan sweater vest****. **A good look against his **full gray beard** and hair and **dark mustache**. He had on rectangular was dressed in a **simple black suit** with a red pen in his breast pocket. Simple, sophisticated, to the point.]

Delmas: Well, I'm sorry that Mr. Tyron couldn't make the return trip. I at least would have thought her mother would want to see her after all this time.

Graven: [false smile] They are both obligated to oversee a project Deckard Industries has had in progress for sometime now. Luckily, its completion will be soon. Hopefully in time for her to be reunited with her daughter.

Delmas: I'm glad you could return to us so we could get this issue resolved once and for all. I do have some questions about the familial relation Mrs. Stone, Well, I guess that would be Mrs. Tyron now, has.

Graven: Completely understandable. I'm here to settle any discrepancies that may have arisen after all.

Delmas: Now it's my understanding that Aelita's mother Anthea has been married to Tyron for 4 years. But Aelita has been attending this academy under the permission of her cousin's family after they took her in from an orphanage. Yet when I tried to find the connection between Della Robbia and Schaeffer for the release papers, I couldn't find a thing.

Graven: [wanting the conversation to end] Unfortunately, there seems to have been a mix up regarding her paper work. Part of the reason it took so long to find her. It seems her father completely scrubbed all connections he had to aid in his disappearance.

Delmas: I see. [pressing the issue further] And why was she separated from her mother in the first place?

Graven: [carefully, as if reciting something he prepared in advance] What I've been told is that there were some disagreements between her father and Tyron. This was during a project all three of them worked on. Waldo and Aelita left the project without her mother. They disappeared after that and only reappeared when Anthea happened to spot a picture of the two of them before the separation.

[Delmas looks as if he wants to ask another question. Graven is looking strained to keep up the act. Delmas raises an eyebrow as if he doubts Graven's story.

There's a knock on the door.

Delmas relaxes.]

Delmas: [Drops his concerns] Ah, that would be them now. I'll leave you two with some privacy.

[Aelita can be see with Jim behind her in the waiting room. Aelita enters the office. He and Jim then leave and Delmas shuts the door behind her. Both men exit out the main door & only the secretary is in the room at her desk.

A second after they leave the room, the door opens and Sissi steps in.

Sissi: Excuse me Nicole. I wanted to talk to you about Mr. Klotz. Well, I mean, I think YOU should talk to him.

[Cut to outside. Jeremie and Tamiya are watching the door from behind a pillar in the foir of the administrative building. They see the secretary leave. Sissi usurers them inside.

They go to the principal's office door. Jeremie takes out a cylinder with an earbud attached. He hooks it in one ear and puts the cylinder to the door.]

Graven: [sets down a tablet on the desk in front of Aelita. Up pops a hologram of documents about Aelita.] These are forged documents for "Aelita stone". False birth certificate, false ID, false papers from the "orphanage" you're from. There is nothing true about you legally speaking. You don't exist.

Aelita: Is there a point to this non-existent history lesson?

Graven: Now, someone had to make these forgeries. Jeremie Belpois perhaps?

[Sissi and Tamiya, who both have different versions of the listening device (Sissi's is covered in sequence and a keychain decoration) turn to Jeremie. Jeremie lets out a little squeak at hearing his name dropped.

Graven eyes the door. He sighs and takes a device out of his pocket. It's a round disk with a button on it. He clicks it once.

Outside the door, Jeremie, Sissi, and Tamiya go from hearing the conversation inside to buzzing in their ears.]

Graven: Now, were this to happen, the only thing about you that can be confirmed, through DNA testing and what have you, is that you're Anthea Tyron's daughter. And Mr. Tyron has authorized me under his status as your "_legal"_ guardian to remove you from this institution and return you to Deckard Inc. You have no say in this. This is entirely up to our discretion.

Aelita: [gruff] What do you want?

Graven: [smiles cruelly] Now we're understanding each other. You give me the location of Franz's supercomputer and we don't expose your fake identity.

[Aelita takes that in for a moment.]

Graven: [tries to reason with her] Your mother wants to see you. You heard her yourself. We could arrange a visit if you cooperate.

Aelita: And what stops you from going back on your end of the deal? How do I know she wasn't just reading lines?

Graven: Nothing and you don't.

Aelita: [frustrated and raising her voice] Why are you doing this?

Graven: [almost confused at how ridiculous her question is.] Did you think we would just leave you alone? [matter of fact.] You vandalized our company property. We don't care about you, we just want to be uninterrupted with our work. We're only asking for you to fix what you broke.

Aelita: We only infected your supercomputer to stop XANA. It attacks by activating towers. Since the Cortex and Lyoko are offline, XANA no longer has access to any towers on any compatible supercomputers on the global network and can't infect or disrupt any other systems. We aren't going to do anything else to you.

Graven: A bit drastic don't-

Aelita: We tried to warn Tyron about it, but he WOULDN'T LISTEN! XANA is trapped. If he turns on his supercomputer without removing the virus, XANA will be destroyed. But if he removes the virus, XANA will be free to do whatever it wants.

Graven: [considers her version for a second] Currently, the only proof behind your story is offline. However, in your two previous conversations with Mr. Tyron, you're been adamant about this. I will admit he can be …

Aelita: Narcissistic?

Graven: Overbearing at times. He may not have believed children about something so dire. I however… am willing to listen.

Aelita: Even if I explain why we're doing what we're doing, you won't believe me. No one ever does.

Graven: I am the one adult you've ever met who will believe half of your life story. [dares her] Try me.

Aelita: My father built the Lyoko supercomputer & XANA to destroy Project Carthage.

Graven: [immediately interrupts] Why?

Aelita: [fires back] All I know about it was that it was an experiment to control communications systems around the world, but people were going to use it for evil. So it had to be stopped. But XANA went corrupt for some reason And then It got out and infected other supercomputers like your cortex. It created experiments with cyborg organisms and an army of robots to help it take over the world. My father helped us destroy it everywhere on the internet and on every device it infected.

Graven: Then how-

Aelita: [doesn't let him interrupt] But it held a part of itself in the cortex. It managed to survive by planting sources codes. It's already stolen back 95%. And when it gets 100% it will escape and take over the world.

Graven: [his face doesn't give anything away about his thoughts on the story] …A very interesting tale. But a few questions. First, how do you know it wants to take over the world? Are you judging that based on movie plots?

Aelita: It-

Graven: [he doesn't give Aelita a chance to answer.] And how do you know what will happen when it gains back 100% of its "source codes".

Aelita: I … uh… we know from experience.

Graven: Has any of those things you said will happen happened before?

Aelita: [realizes she's heading downhill] Well, no but-

Graven: So, all you have are assumptions. [leans back from his straightened position. He's clearly at ease.] One last question. If this artificial intelligence-

Aelita: Multi-agent system. It's not one "thing". It's many that work collectively to make a whole.

Graven: Right, multi-agent system. If it's as intelligent as you make it out to be that it can invade any system on Earth and is capable of making such elaborate plans, then when was the last time you had a conversation with it?

Aelita: [it takes a second for her to comprehend what he just asked her, let alone answer] …What?

Graven: Talk. Have you ever talked with it?

Aelita: It… it isn't the type of thing you can call or text. It doesn't give anything away, it's too smart for that.

Graven: Have you ever tried?

Aelita: NO!

Graven: So, what you're saying is, you have no idea what XANA wants. You only have its actions to base your assumptions on. And you have no idea what will happen if it achieves its goals.

Aelita: [desperate] We can tell what it wants from what it's DONE. It just attacks people whenever it wants & It defies the laws of physics on a daily basis. [grasping at straws] It can manipulate electricity, control phenomenon of the earth and the weather, and reverse gravity. It can create specters, ghosts that shoot lightning. It can possess anyone, turn them invincible, and make them do anything it wants. It can bring trees, chemicals, the Earth itself alive and under its control. It's made a zombie virus. Yes, a zombie FREAKING virus, nanobot swarm, and deadly soundwaves all to try to kill the 6 of us. There's no limit to what it can do and it only tries to hurt people. SO YES. I'M ASSUMING DESTROYING IT IS FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND!

[Graven tries to argue back but the sass queen has only just begun.]

Aelita: I've walked away from death, I've seen machines made entirely for destruction. Experiments that are beyond human. Terrors that you can't comprehend. So, you go back to Tyron and tell him there is something bigger than just me or my friends lurking in his supercomputer. It's bigger than you, than him and it won't stop until-

[her eyes go white and she falls back on the floor]

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	12. EP 16: Return to Focus B

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Cut to the infirmary. Aelita is laying on one of the beds. Jeremie is pacing while Tamiya and Sissi are waiting by the door. Jeremie is furious.]

Jeremie: How could he do this to her?

Tamiya: I've never seen Jeremie this angry before.

Sissi: I don't think I've seen him angry ever.

[The nurse, Yolanda, walks up to them.]

Jeremie: [Immediately] How is she?

Sissi: Do you know what's wrong?

Yolanda: That's the strangest thing. I can't find a single thing wrong with her. She should be perfectly fine and walking around. She should wake up any-

[Aelita opens her eyes and sits up.]

Jeremie: Thank goodness. What happened? What did Graven do to you?

Aelita: Wait, what happened?

Jeremie: The meeting with Graven. It sounded like things were getting intense. You were shouting something and then the next thing we knew

Aelita: No, I mean. Who's Graven. And who are all of you.

[beat]

Sissi: This day, cannot get any weirder.

Tamiya: I hope it does.

[Match cut from Jeremie's face in the infirmary to his face in his dorm room.]

William: Does she remember anything?

Jeremie: No. She's exactly like how we found her Lyoko.

Yumi: How could he take away everything without harming her. If it was a head injury I could understand that.

Jeremie: I didn't hear anything after he threatened to use my forgeries against Aelita. I think he heard us and activated some kind of dampener.

Odd: But it's pretty obvious what happened right?

William: Yeah. Graven blackmailed her. She refused to cooperate.

Yumi: But why erase her memory?

Jeremie: Tyron wants us to remove the virus from his supercomputer. Either Aelita doesn't go back to normal until he gets what he wants or if we try to fix Aelita using the supercomputer, he'll track us to our lab.

Odd: Wait, you can fix Aelita?

Jeremie: Of course, I can. The supercomputer saves a copy of you from the most recent time you were virtualized. So all I have to do is a "restore from backup" of her memory. And if that fails, we always have the Return to the Past. [mutters to himself] But I would have to check if whatever is wrong with her if physiological or if it has to do with quantum flux. [back to the group.] My point is, we have to go to the lab either way.

Yumi: What if her memory backup is gone?

Odd: Compared to losing the ice and forest sectors, one memory file wouldn't be surprising.

Jeremie: Um, actually that's a different case entirely. So you know how Aelita and I rebuilt Lyoko in a week?

William: [confused] When was this?

Yumi: After it was destroyed.

William: [alert] How did that happen?!

Jeremie, Yumi, Odd: YOU!

William: [completely understands] …Right, my blackout period.

Jeremie: [back to the issue] Right so we might have rushed it just a little and ruined some of Franz's data that we used for those sectors.

Odd: Or he just sent bad files.

Jeremie: NO! Franz was a genius. It's my fault.

William: If we do go through with this, Graven can't follow us.

Jeremie: I also need someone to go with Aelita while she's virtualized. For whatever reason, if XANA is able to act in the short time we have the supercomputer on, she needs a guard while she's defenseless. And it can't be Yumi. We can't have both code bearers in the same location.

Yumi: I'll be on watch. I need to have a word with him anyway.

William: I have a free period. I'll stay back with Yumi in case he tries anything. If we catch him in the act, we might be able to find out how he did it.

Odd: I volunteer as tribute for princess's royal guard.

Jeremie: [knows why Odd is volunteering] Any excuse to go back to Lyoko right?

Odd: [exaggerated cheerful] Oh Einstein, you know me so well.

Yumi: [realizes her BF isn't there] Wait, we need to tell Ulrich.

William: Ulrich's missing. Hiroki should still be looking.

* * *

[Jeremie bursts into the infirmary.]

Aelita: Oh, you again?

Jeremie: Listen. I can help you, but you have to trust me.

Aelita: Okay.

Jeremie: [surprised] Really?

Aelita: Yeah, I feel like …you're a good person. You want what's best for me. So, I trust you.

* * *

[cut to the park on campus. Jeremie and Odd are leading Aelita to a clearing.]

Jeremie: We're almost there.

Odd: Shhh.

Jeremie: What?

Odd: Listen.

[they hear footsteps behind them.

Odd jumps up to a tree branch and swings himself up and flips. He lands on top of it. He looks below. He sees Diva. She's looking around for something.]

Odd: Oh, come on! Girls I cheat on aren't this persistent.

Jeremie: What is it?

Odd: Look, it's nothing. I'll take care of it and meet you there.

Aelita: Girlfriend troubles?

Jeremie: [smirks] Looks like your habits have woven themselves so deep, not even amnesia can erase them.

Odd: Oh haha.

Jeremie: Okay, fine. Just hurry.

[Jeremie has trouble moving the manhole cover. Aelita helps him. The stench hits them both and Aelita holds her nose.]

Jeremie: You trust me right?

Aelita: Yes, but I'm starting to regret that.

Odd: [walks up to Diva] Oh hey.

Diva: Oh, there you are. I've finally caught up with you. Been taking all morning.

Odd: [playing dumb] Really. I had no idea.

Diva: I have something to play for you. [takes the guitar case off her back.] You see, I've been watching you for a while now. Everything you do is so amazing, and you shine above everyone else.

Odd: [loves the praise] Oh really. Well it's all completely true.

Diva: I just wanted to perform something for you to see if it changed your mind about me. [starts to unzip the case.]

Odd: [sees things are going too far.] is it a love confession guitar solo?

Diva: No.

Odd: Good because there is something I have to tell-

Diva: It's a rap. [She begins to … words cannot describe what Odd is witnessing]

Odd: [thinks] _This is the weirdest thing to ever happen to me. And considering my life, that's terrifying._

* * *

[Graven is moving through a courtyard. William and Yumi are following him from the opposite side.]

Yumi: Better put our phones on silent. But if he tries anything, we call Jeremie immediately.

[William nods in agreement. Graven steps into an empty class room. William and Yumi slide up to the class room door.

Graven takes out a blackberry. He plugs a dongle in and the phone powers on. He calls the first contact on the list.]

Graven: We need to change plans. …The girl is faking amnesia to buy time. …It doesn't have to be today, just by May 10th.

Hiroki: [yells] Can someone help me with him?

[Everyone in the courtyard, including Yumi, William, and Graven in the class room turns to look at Hiroki. The young boy has Ulrich's slumped unconscious form over his shoulder. Hiroki is struggling to keep him up.]

Yumi: [alarmed and concerned] OMG, Ulrich!

William: Wait. [holds her back] Ulrich or Hiroki could be a specter.

Yumi: Even if Jeremie has already turned on the supercomputer, Ulrich's been missing since before Aelita's meeting. There's no way.

William: Can we really take that chance? You follow Graven. I'll check what happened to Ulrich.

[from inside the classroom]

Graven: Update. There's an unidentified assailant is at Kadic. … I need to know is there was someone else assigned here.

* * *

[Montage of Aelita and Jeremie dropping down into the sewers. He grabs a fold up electric scooter leaning against a pipe. There's another one right next tot it as well as 3 perfectly good electronic skateboards. They zoom through the sewer tunnels.]

Aelita: It's retched down here.

Jeremie: Why do you think we left the scooters down here? Couldn't get the smell out.

[They reach the end with a grate over the sewer channel where it connects to a river. They climbed up a ladder where they emerged onto a bridge. They crossed over the river. One end of the bridge lead to an abandoned industrial zone of the city. The other end was connected to a huge factory planted smack dab in the middle of on an island in the river. They walked through its shutter doors and into the metal skeleton. They see the dusty panel windows on the ceiling above.

Jeremie grabs the robe and slides down to the factory floor below. Aelita follows him.

He walks over the elevator. He pops off the panel to the control box to reveal a secret keypad inside. He types in a code and cables suspending into the pit shaft begin to draw upward. The elevator stops. The door coils open and they both step inside. Aelita looks around in amazement.

The elevator descends, then stops. The door opens to a dim room. Jeremie clicks on his phone for light.

It's a tall room. There is a geometric patterns on the walls. There are emerald circuit boards at the bottom where the panels of the wall were exposed, then slowly transitioned to pale eggshell white paint of the walls. There is a grate over the floor. As they walk toward it, it's cover retracts. Something starts rising from the center. It's a large cylinder. Then a second column starts rising from the center. It's covered in gold hieroglyphs and circuitry, all of them dark. Jeremie ends his walk right in front of the machine. A panel slides open. He takes the handle inside and pushes down. The entire surface of the machine washes with light. The room suddenly is lit up as if a small sun just turned on.]

Aelita: [amazed] What's going on?

Jeremie: [proud and still amazed even though he knew exactly what was going to happen.] This will help you remember.

[They go back up in the elevator and it stops again. This time in a room above the last one. 3 cylindrical columns sit in an equilateral triangle. One slides open as they approach it.]

Jeremie: Go here and wait inside.

[Leaving Aelita there, Jeremie takes the elevator up one more floor. This time is was a lab of some sort. There was a monitor suspended from a ring in the ceiling, the rest of the ceiling lost in a tangle of wires and pipes. Jeremie sat down in a reclining chair across from the monitor and waited for it to move along the ring in the floor to position him right in front of the keyboard. He looked the tiniest bit happy as he enjoyed the ride over.]

Jeremie: [thinks] _I love this chair._

[Jeremie grabs a one ear headset off the keyboard.]

Jeremie: Aelita, do you hear me? Are you still in the scanner?

Aelita: [speakers on the monitor] Yes.

Jeremie: Okay then. Let the magic begin. And by magic, I mean quantum computations and chemical synapse to binary signal conversion.

Aelita: Wait, what?

Jeremie: Transfer Aelita, Scanner Aelita, Virtualization.

[Aelita floats up in the scanner. And with a flash of light, she's gone.]

Jeremie: And, memory restoration, begin.

[Hits a key]

* * *

[cut back to Odd and Diva in the park.]

Diva: [holding her electric guitar/portable speaker] So, what did you think?

Odd: [Scarred for life] Well, it was unique and refreshing take on the love confession. [clears his head] But I've been trying to tell you. It's just that…I mean you're great and musically talented but…. [braces for angry girl retaliation] I've already got a girlfriend, Sam.

Diva: [suddenly shy] Oh… I guess I should've checked that first. I was only worried about the chance you would say no. [bangs her head on her guitar.]

[cut to a different POV of the scene. Odd and Diva are still talking, but the camera is behind a tree and hidden in the leaves of bushes.]

Odd: [Trying to patronize her] But we can be friends.

Diva: Okay, but not "just friends". I'm not lying to myself

Odd: [understands the reference to Ulrich and Yum. Excitedly agrees] I know right? [remembers where he's supposed to be.] Oh, I have to go. But we'll talk later okay?

Diva: Sure, see ya.

[Odd goes to the clearing with the manhole. Just as he's about to open it, he hears something off to his left. He turns his head just in time to see a huge metal gloved hand close on his head.

CRRRCKR

Electricity spreads from the glove across Odd's body. He can't move.]

* * *

[Cut to William and Hiroki in the infirmary with Ulrich on one of the beds. Ulrich hair is sticking up as if he had been touching a static ball.

William: Where did you-

Hiroki: [Knows what he is going to ask.] Just in the woods. He was just lying there.

[Sissi and Milly rush in. Milly has her mic out.]

Sissi: OMG, Ulrich! [whips around to William] What did you do all this for? I thought it was supposed to be a friendly competitive match.

William: We didn't even get to fight… wait how did you know about that?

Ulrich: [suddenly] I don't know where.

[Everyone turns as Ulrich jolts up and sits up. He is panicked and eyes wide.]

William: [leans close so only the two of them can hear] Did Graven do this to you?

Ulrich: [confused] Who?

William: Tyron's suit from Deckard Inc

Ulrich: No one like that.

William: What kind of specter was it? Hypnotizing, just regular shocking kind, phasing, duplicating, polymorphic? Or was it just someone possessed?

Ulrich: [frazzled] No, it wasn't anything, any one of XANA's monsters.

William: What kind of attack

Ulrich: Listen!

[William stops talking to let Ulrich take a few breaths. Milly gets a bit closer and holds out her mic.]

Ulrich: It wasn't XANA, it wasn't a Tyron. It was just this guy in a mask and trench coat. He had dogs with him. One bit me and made me go down. [rolls up his pant leg to show them the bite mark] He had ...had a-

William: Gun?

Ulrich: [unsure, but agreeing] Yeah, he shoved that in my face after I went down. [realizes that wasn't what he was trying to warn them about.] NO. That happened, but he he had something else. He was asking questions with it. A glove. He asked me a question and before I even answered, he knew about the 6 of us. It it was copying my memories. I didn't tell him. I blacked out before I told him. At least, I think?

William: What?

Ulrich: [remembers] He wanted to know where Lyoko was!

* * *

[Show Odd in the park. Can see the man's face for the first time, but he's wearing a balaclava up to his eyes. He is pressing the glove down on Odd's head. He's pinning Odd's torso to the ground with his knee. There's electricity running alone Odd's head wh-ere the gloves fingers are pressing on it. There's nothing Odd can do to fight back.]

?: Where is the supercomputer? Where is Lyoko?

[Something appears on the screen on the gauntlet.]

F. A. -

WACK

[And then the weight is gone from Odd.

The man is away from Odd on his knees. He quickly gets back up. Odd turns the other way. He can see Diva shifting her stance from how she wacked the man in the head with her guitar.]

Diva: [leans down to check on Odd] You awake?

Odd: [semi-conscious and babbling.] I don't know know can't tell

Diva: It's okay, we'll get you back to the school and-

PHT PHT

[Diva hits the ground. The man has taken out a silenced Desert Eagle handgun and doubled tapped before either of them had noticed.]

Odd: [doesn't know what's happening, but clearly terrified] …AH.

?: No witnesses.

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	13. EP 16: Return to Focus C

To the readers

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Show Jeremie in his chair. He hears the door to the elevator opening behind him.]

Jeremy: Odd finally, how long does it take to reject a girl. I know it's usually the other way around but-

[Sees it's Diva holding Odd in her arms. Odd's clothing on his back is dirty from where he was on the ground. Odd's hair is messed up, full of static and waving around. Diva's hair is sticking up like had a current running through her. She looks completely baffled at… well everything.]

Diva: I wanted to to bring him back to the school, but he was saying he had to come here. [looks around] Where is here?

Jeremie: What happened?

Diva: I don't know. There was a man attacking Odd. He had this weird glove on. I was able to drive him away, but he's been babbling ever since.

Odd: [thousand yard stare. rambling] The teddy bear. It knows kung fu!

Jeremie: Okay, I need you to take him back into the elevator, go down a level, and put him into one of the scanners there.

[Diva lifts odd up. Cut to her setting him down into the scanners.]

Jeremie: Transfer Odd, Scanner Odd. Virtualization.

[a 3D wireframe graphic of Odd's avatar comes up on the screen. A line slowly traces over it. Symbols on the monitor start to turn green.]

Jeremie: Well it's definitely Odd and not a specter. If his memory is the problem, then I've literally got the solution open right now.

[Odd is virtualized in Carthage. It's a white steel labyrinth with translucent circuits drawn on the walls. All the walls, floors, and the ceilings were made of cubes and prisms of various shapes, lengths, and sizes. All of these tunnels and maze corridors were contained within a giant sphere. He falls to the ground limp. He sits up dazed.

His avatar had a **purple-yellow** color scheme. He had the same c**one shaped blond hair with the purple mark in the middle** like his IRL hair. He had **purple triangle marks** above his blond eyebrows. **Purple slashes** that go up from the bottom of his cheeks to near his eyes. He had **purple paw gloves** that went from his upper forearms that **end in claws**. They had **yellow jagged stripes** that run up his gloves. He had **lilac pads** on his palms that allow him to stick to surfaces. He also had **purple bell bottom pants** the same color as his upper body. It had split colors. The interior stayed the same, but the exterior was lilac. They were attached to his avatar by **a metal belt**. **Purple kneepads and shoulder pads** with a yellow liner around them. On his back, he had a **purple tail with a lilac stripe pattern** on it. He had **yellow boots** sticking out of the bottom of his pant legs. They each had 3 blades sticking out of the tip, like claws.

Something shifts, fizzles, and detaches from him. A smoking cloud flies away from him without him being aware of it. It exits the Carthage sphere. Then it goes underneath through a pulsating shutter in the south surface of the sphere. It flies up into a cylindrical room with prisms protruding from every space around the perimeter and randomly at every elevation. It flies up to a sphere, the heart of Lyoko, that runs the entire virtual world. And disappears into it.

A warning flashes up on the screen for an activated tower.]

Jeremie: What?! HOW! This fast? How did we get the worst-case scenario?

[In the white Carthage halls, show a white tower with a black biomass surrounding the bottom. Root like wires emerge from & dive into the ground around the tower, then slowly tamper off as they get further away from the tower until they are completely submerged in the ground. Inside the tower. There is a circular platform floating in the middle of space with boxes of code running down the walls. There is no top; the sides just extend up to infinity. Show Aelita sitting cross legged on the platform.

Aelita had the same **pink pixie hair** as she did IRL. She had an **emerald orb earring** on her left ear, both of which were longer and tapered to a point. **Pink marks** under her eyes that swerved away toward her eyes and dropped to a point. Wore a **dark pink gi** with short sleeves that didn't even reach her elbow. It had transparent **light green shoulder pads** attached to it. She wore **tan cloth bracers** on each of her arms. The gi had **light pink lines** running down it in a circuit pattern down to the edges. She wore a **white belt** to fix the outfit to her. She wore leggings with **dark purple along the outside** and **pink on the insides**. On her right arm, she had a sort of **watch** that extended out over the back of her hand. It had a star pattern on it. She wore **dark purple fingerless gloves**. She had **greaves** over her lower legs. The **upper half** was the same **tan color** as the bracers on her arms, but the **lower was dark purple**.

There is a screen with a stream of data flowing into her forehead. It disconnects and vanishes.]

Aelita: Jeremie? Is there something wrong?

[As soon as she finishes speaking, the surface she is sitting on pulsates.]

Aelita: Pulsations?

Jeremie: Yeah, I'm stopping the process early. I've only got a percentage. How much do you remember?

Aelita: William got captured and possessed, destroyed Lyoko, and we're trying to find a way to get him back.

Jeremie: Oh wow. Um, that's a good amount. You know tower deactivation, energy fields, angel wings?

Aelita: [happy] Yep, I just got those right?

Jeremie: If by just, you mean it's been a long time then yes.

Aelita: [noticeably more cheerful than she was before she lost her memory] Awesome. Then I should have developed even more. I can't wait to see what else I can do.

Jeremie: Hang on. [Odd stumbles through the tower wall and collapses on the platform.] He needs a restore too.

Odd: [while lying on the floor] My hands. They're so HD.

Jeremie: Same verse, same as the first. Should go pretty quick since he has his memory, it's just messed up.

* * *

[Jim is rearranging the mats in the gymnasium from how Hiroki had moved them before for the dual.

Jim: Nonsense about nonexistent family tree. Stone is related to Della Robbia, but not this Tyron guy. And somehow, her mother doesn't know she had a child for 25 years or some nonsense like that. I haven't heard about a family tree this tangled up since I met those octuplets in Rahmatpur[hears something from the boiler room. The sound of something large and heavy breaking and falling down.] Now what could that be? I've told you kids time and time again I-

[He turns around to face the boiler room door…

And comes face to face with a giant metal tarantula.]

* * *

Milly: So, Ulrich was attacked by some man with the infinity gauntlet.

Ulrich: It was an electric glove! Journalists!

Tamiya: That's nothing. Apparently Aelita's entire existence was fabricated by Jeremie.

William: This is definitely a RTTP, right?

Ulrich: Ohhhhhh yeah.

Tamiya: Anything else I miss in the last two hours?

Milly: I guess the duel is being postponed.

Ulrich: Wait, what duel?

William: Ours.

Ulrich: Why would we fight. You just joined the group. Didn't you?

William: Oh wow. Just over2 years. You're missing a lot. The name Tyron ring any bells?

Ulrich: No. You call Jeremie to see what to do yet?

William: He's in the process of playing mad scientist. [sarcastic] I'm sure he won't mind a call.

[The phone rings once before Jeremie picks up.]

Jeremie: [phone] I was just about to call you, but you already know then.

William: I was calling you about Ulrich. He got attacked by a man in the trench coat with dogs apparently.

Jeremie: [phone] Oh that. Yeah, I know about that too. Odd was attacked. This girl, Diva, brought him. Say hi Diva.

Diva: [phone] Um hi?

William: So, we need to do a RTTP.

Jeremie: [phone] About that. XANA activated a tower.

William: Wasn't avoiding that the entire point of this plan? [sighs] What's the attack?

[XANA's monsters can be seen chasing students outside the Infirmary window.]

William: Never mind. [laser blasts can be heard in the background.]

Sissi: OMG, what are those things!?

Jeremie: [phone] Yeah, that's why I'm calling. We can't get a hold of Yumi, but she will know what to do.

Ulrich: Well, that's enough rest for me. [hops off the infirmary bed and shrugs on his jacket.]

Sissi: [concerned] No way. You need to rest.

Ulrich: Look, I may be missing a few, [sways a bit on his feet. Dizzy] [corrects himself] a lot of marbles, but this isn't my first rodeo with amnesia. I have enough left to understand the situation. Me and William are going to evac everyone to the gym for safety. You four better get going there while we clear out the dorms.

Sissi: And what if there are monsters in the gym? Call the police and everyone stays put.

William: [puts his phone on speaker] Jeremie, tell them what you just told me.

Jeremie: [speaker] [lies] I already did that. It will be ages until the police even arrive there.

Sissi: [frustrated] Mmmmmmm fine. You guys go clear the gym out first and I'll take care of the dorms. If you were going to fight each other, you're the best bet we have to take apart these science project rejects.

Hiroki: [picking her words apart] Wouldn't turning in a working robot be a successful science project?

William: [ignoring him.] She's right you know. [sissi, Tamiya, Milly leave. William and Ulrich run out the door toward the other end of the hall.]

* * *

[Odd and Aelita are in the halls of Carthage.]

Odd: Okay Einstein, ready to be beamed up.

Jeremie: [embarrassed] You won't believe this. You know how we lost two sectors to turning off the-

Odd: Einstein, how many things are broken today?!

Jeremie: [shouting] I wasn't planning on turning this thing back off and on.

Odd: I get it. How do we get to the desert sector then?

Jeremie: The old way. Celestial dome, then take the data channel to the desert way tower.

[**T**hey both run down hallways until they reach a doorway that leads out into a curved chasm, the exterior shell of Carthage. Then a screeching sound can be heard. The elevator (Do not ask me to describe it in its entirety, watch the show and you'll understand.) is a platform, not an enclosed box. The two both take the elevator. It stops at a crack in the exterior shell. They run out onto a protruding platform in the sphere. They are now outside the sphere. They are surrounded by a dark black void painted with millions of screens of information; it's a second sphere surrounding the sector itself. Carthage is spitting out 4 data channels, cylindrical rivers of data positioned in the 4 cardinal directions; one toward each of the sectors. Jeremie summons Odd's overboard. Aelita activates her wings, Odd jumps on his overboard. Jeremie hits a few keys. One of the 4 channels exuding from the Carthage sphere stops sending data, allowing entry into the southern most rift in the dataspace around Carthage. Aelita and Odd sail into it.

They reappear by passing through the black wall of the way tower in the desert sector. They both fly over several plateaus.

They spot something on the horizon. A huge mass of black clouds.]

Odd: Either XANA's really angry, or we've got a thunderstorm on the horizon.

Aelita: Well, its right on top of the tower, so we have no choice.

[They fly into the stormy clouds.]

* * *

[Graven is being pursued by a single kankrelat, a small **4 legged robot** with a **tan bulbus shell** and **single eye** that doubled as a **laser projector**, shooting lasers at him every once in a while.

Something slams into it. It goes sailing against the courtyard wall and bursts.

Graven turns around to see Yumi holding a janitor's broom. She grabs his arm and shoves him through the door into the gym.]

Yumi: [commanding] Stay here.

[Yumi posts her broom against the wall at an angle.]

Yumi: Now, since I saved your live, you mind telling me who attacked Ulrich?

Graven: How would I know that?

Yumi: Because he's your guy. He probably did the same thing that you did to Aelita.

Graven: [offended] I did no such thing. She faked a condition in order to prolong our discussion.

[Yumi slams her foot down on the join between the handle and broom head.

Graven flinches back.]

Yumi: [passive aggressive] Really? Because you were willing to kill four of us and held me against my will.

Graven: We were going to shut out your access to our systems, not kill them.

[Yumi slams her foot down on the join again. The broom cracks a little.]

Yumi: News flash. Shutting off a supercomputer means the world inside disappears. And then there's nothing for us to stand on and we fall into the digital sea. It may not harm your ninjas in green, but to anyone that was virtualized its lethal.

Graven: [surprised] I … I'm sure Mr. Tyron was aware of that and had additional measures in place.

Yumi: He made it abundantly clear he didn't.

Graven: As for your… [regains his composure. He restarts.] you were standing in the way of something that was going to ruin years of work. Look at it from a business stand point.

Yumi: I am. What is worth killing kids over? What do you need the Cortex for that's worth risking letting XANA out?

[She slams down on the handle, clearly fueled by anger this time. It snaps at the join with a satisfying CRACK.

She lifts her newly made staff. You can see the broken off broom head. She points the sharp end at Graven's face.]

Yumi: No more stalling. No more business talk. Just answers. Or I will use everything I know about beating humans and machines down until they're nothing left. All. [edges closer] Against. [edges closer] YOU.

Graven: I don't know who attacked Mr. Stern.

[Yumi hits Graven across the face with her staff. He goes down hard.]

Graven: Assault charges!

Yumi: You've got to understand. Your company was going to kill four of the people closest to me. There are monsters attacking. Something attacked my boyfriend and you might know what it is. So, I don't care how much I hurt you. You understand? {Yumi proceeds to spit hot fire.} Look at it from a business perspective.

[She prepares to hit him again.]

Graven: Grigory. I … it was probably Grigory. Always has his two rottweilers with him. That's where those tears on his pants might have come from. That and the boy's conditions match his MO.

[Yumi notices the door to the boiler room is bust open. From the inside.]

Graven: [trying to salvage his authority] Where are you going? This is the only place that's safe.

Yumi: If those things came from there. [points to the door] then not for long.

[She steps over the broken door and into the boiler room. She sees the door with a passage to the sewers.]

* * *

[cut to the Kadic dorms, third floor. The girl's floor. In which boys, whose floor is numbered second, are not allowed. Girls are upstairs and boys are downstairs. Comings and going from upstairs to downstairs and from downstairs to upstairs are strickly forbidden. And if someone is caught going from downstairs to upstairs or from upstairs to downstairs, they are really going regret it stairs.

A Blox is scuttling down the hallway. (Is it allowed on this floor? You get to decide.) It's a… well, **block**, with an **eye on each of its vertical faces**. It has **six legs** on the bottom it uses to scuttle around. Each eye has a **different attack**, but it was currently using one with **an ice beam**, freezing doors shut with the students in there inside. They can be heard banging on the doors.

A door creeks open. Laura pokes her head out to see what's going on, with headphones dangling off one ear.

It spots her. Laura dives out of her room door just as a beam of ice freezes the spot where she just was. She somehow lands in a roll and ends up at the T-intersection of the hallway. She moves to behind the corner just as a couple of red lasers hit the wall and ground ahead of her. She gets up and looks to the side.]

Sissi: Hi.

[Sissi is hiding behind the other corner.]

Laura: What is going on!? [peers around the corner at the Blox] What's with that … [clutches her head] Blox?

Sissi: How do you not know what's going on?

Laura: I had my headphones on. Playing through _Metal Gear Solid 3_ studying its level design.

Sissi: Oh, great. That means you must know all about robots and their weaknesses.

Laura: Okay, one, computer science and engineering are NOT the same thing. And two, how can you not tell those eyes are its weak points after one glance? Now, what's going on!?

Sissi: Robot monster invasion. And our best chance of survival is Ulrich and William.

Laura: [that fact scares her more than the robot] Oh.

Sissi: I was about to leave, then this thing showed up.

Laura: Luckily for you, I've literally been stuck in this exact situation for the past hour. Since we don't have a flashbang, we need a distraction and an attacker.

Sissi: [unmovable pris] Fine. You go first and I'll go for the eye.

Laura: [unstoppable elitist] No, you don't know what to do. You be the distraction. I'm the only one who can take it down.

[The Blox has finished icing off the remain doors and is advancing on their position.

Laura cuts off the argument.]

Laura: Fine. Give me your phone.

Sissi: No [Laura gives her a "Are you serious? We are about to die!" look] Fine.

[Show the view from the Blox. Just as the Blox is about to turn the corner, two flashes from the girl's phones go off. It resets its targeting for a millisecond and the girls charge at it.]

* * *

[Back in the computer lab.]

Jeremie: Guys, I do not have a visual on the Holomap. I have no idea what is waiting for you.

Aelita: Well, that's not an issue.

[Starts to use creativity. As she holds out her hands, an angelic song voice fills the air. The storm starts to part.

Then something huge appears. A giant structure stretched out over the area around the tower.]

Odd: What is that?

Aelita: You don't know either?

[Then the thing moved.

Six giant eyes appeared. The supports over the tower start to move. They are actually humongous pincers. Then its body was clearly visible through the storm. It was a giant krab.

As more of the storm disappears, it reveals more regular krabs, monster with **a giant red shell** almost **double the height of a person** and **4 strong pinchers**, on the ground. The ground around the tower is being actually a crater. It's shaped like a straight cylinder cut out of the ground.

And then 6 giant lasers followed by dozens of tinier, but just as ferocious lasers streak toward them.]

Odd: [panic] Put it back! PUT IT BACK!

[Aelita, stops using creativity by choice & reverses its effect. The storm cloud density increases.]

* * *

[William and Ulrich reach the gym. They see the doors have been blown open and monsters are moving inside.]

William: What do we do?

Ulrich: I don't know. The only time I've faced anything worse than a kankrelat, there was only one at a time.

William: What did you do that time?

Ulrich: Assassination from a tree. You were the bait.

William: [Suspicious] Was this before or after I joined?

Ulrich: Before. And I had Yumi's family sword.

Hiroki: When did you have my family's _Peacemaker_?

[William and Ulrich look over to see Hiroki with wooden weapons.]

Ulrich: Where did you get those?

Hiroki: They were for round three in case things got boring. When did you use our sword?

Ulrich: [speaks the truth] In an alternate timeline. [takes a wooden longsword] Thanks for the weapons, now scram.

Hiroki: [wants to be there] How about the competition is now who gets the most robot kills and I'm the judge. I'll warn you if you're in danger too.

William: [takes a thicker sword than Ulrich] No, you could seriously get hurt.

Hiroki: I promise to stay back. You think I'm going to rush in the middle of battle with a giant robot just to get a better look?

Ulrich: [accidental sass] Alternate timeline me says yes.

Hiroki: Is this a reference to something?

Ulrich: No, now unless you have a great reason-

Hiroki: Someone said they saw Yumi going into the gym with that Graven guy earlier.

[The two older boys immediately rush into the gym.]

Hiroki: [smirks] Too easy.

* * *

Aelita: [finishes recreating the storm.] There. [the lasers stop going anywhere near them. Loss in accuracy.]

Odd: Okay, we dive bomb from above, and if we miss the super krab's legs and if the appetizer krabs don't shoot us down, the tower deactivation is a piece of cake in the bag.

Aelita: Uh two different expressi-

Odd: I know what I said. I'm hungry for takeout.

Aelita: Well besides, I have a better idea.

[The krabs advance beyond the edge of the storm and reacquire their targets.]

Aelita: If they won't let us fly in from above and we'll get crushed by the legs on the ground, then let's go below.

[they turn around and fly in the opposite direction.]

* * *

[William and Ulrich are running all over the gym. They are constantly dodge rolling and only getting the occasional hit in. Hiroki is watching by the door.]

Hiroki: Ulrich 2, Will 3.

PHLEW PHLEW PHLEW WACK

Hiroki: Ulrich 3!

William: How about we say Tarantulas are worth 2 points. They are tougher.

[He points to a **giant 4 spindly legged spider** with **metal attachments on its front legs** that it used to fire lasers. The legs attached to its **squat, green body** that was small in comparison to the legs. It had a **metal muzzle on its head** with the eye of XANA on it.]

Ulrich: [testing fate] Not once you get used to them.

[A tarantula backhands Ulrich across the room. Luckily, he is sent into a pile of mats that collapse. He is perfectly fine. A loud screech blurts out.]

AAAAAGH

[A Blox behind William shoots a fire ring that destroys his sword right before he's about to attack the tarantula. The giant arachnid knocks him to the floor.]

PHLAT PHAT

[Something hits and dents the tarantula's muzzle face.]

Jim: [holding a nailgun] I don't know what you are, but you are not allowed in the Gym without my permission.

[Jim also has a bag with sharp metal objects sticking out and a weed Wacker in his other hand.]

Ulrich: Stay back, they're-

[Jim fires at the tarnautula's eye destroying it. It collapses on William. William shoves it off of him.]

Jim: Eh, I've dealt with worse in Quebec. You should have seen the size of that platypus. Then again, the wild boar was-

[A Blox is about to shoot at the monologuing Jim, Ulrich throws his sword knocking the thing over. William grabs the weed Wacker out of Jim's other hand. He slices a gash into the top eye of the blox. A plume of smoke erupts from it and it goes still.]

Jim: Nice shot stern.

Ulrich: [has enough of Jim's shtick] One-time Jim. The one time you want to talk about something.

Jim: You kids got good survival instincts. I was just about to clear this place out and make a safehouse myself. I even stopped by Mr. Riley's shed to pick up a few things. [hands Ulrich a pair of shears] You seemed pretty good with a blade.

Ulrich: [grins] You. Have. No idea.

William: You also get hurt easily. How loud did you scream? You even hit the softest thing in the room.

Ulrich: That wasn't me it was-

[They see Graven crawling out from under the mats Ulrich knocked over. He had been hiding behind them when Ulrich was thrown into them.]

Ulrich: You?! You have till the count of three to tell us what you did to Aelita.

Graven: As I told Ishiyama, I had nothing to do with that.

Hiroki: [having entered after the battle.] You saw where my sister went? BT dubs, final score. Ulrich 3, Jim 1, William 4.

William: [to Ulrich] Hah!

Graven: She went into the boiler room. The monsters were coming from there. She said she had to go stop them.

[A stream of students from the dorms run in. Milly and Tamiya run up to Jim.

Milly: We're got to barricade the doors. More of those monsters are coming.

Ulrich: We should go help Yumi.

William: And who will protect them? Trust her to take care of the monsters on that end. We'll take care of the ones here and meet up later.

Ulrich: …It's going to be a massacre.

William: [Dis] Isn't Yumi better than you?

Ulrich: [retort] I meant for the monsters.

* * *

[Show wreckage of monsters in the sewers. Some are half in the water. Some have multiple stab entry points. Among the wreckage are multiple **creepers**, **robotic snakes with organic heads and arms**, but **metal tails**. They **shoot lasers from their mouth**.

Yumi is bracing against a tarantula's arms, trying to keep the laser projector end away from her face. It's trying to push back so she would be thrown down. Just as she tips dangerously backward, she swivels, slides the staff up the monster's arms to the neck and spins the other end of the staff around to bat it in the back of the head. It goes tumbling into the dirty water. A shower of sparks flies up, then immediately subside.]

Yumi: Nice.

[Behind where she was battling the monster, there is a set of stairs. The stairway walls are scrapped, and the stairs have cracks in them from the weight of the monsters' steps.

Yumi: Of course, they would be coming from here.

[She steps out the ruined door at the top. She's in the side yard of the Hermitage. The monster guards, a squadron of 3 **hornets**, **six short winged insects** with a **stinger that fires lasers**, and a Blox turn toward her.

Cut to Yumi leaping toward them with her staff in mid strike]

* * *

[Show a giant hole in the ground. There are three tiered rings inside cinching up the hole as it went deeper. But after the third ring there was no bottom. Each of the rings was connected by a ramp with no railings. If you fell, it was a straight shot for the digital sea.]

Odd: Oh wow. It's been ages since we used this route.

Aelita: Same on my end.

[Five Kankrelats zip out from the ramp to the first ring.]

Odd: [glee] Oh look. Target practice!

[He swerves to the side so he can line up 3 Kankrelats next to each other. He obliterates them all with one 3 arrow burst. Aelita throws an energy field at the other one. It explodes and sends its last buddy off the edge of the hole and into the center pit.]

Odd: Laser Arrow!

Aelita: Energy Field!

[Odd and Aelita start descending through the rings on their board and wings respectively.]

Odd: Remember when these guys were scary? And could actually kill us?

[Show a kankrelot hiding under one of the ramps. It fires a shot at him. It destroys his board causing him to fall off.]

Odd: AHHHHH

[And he stops. A hand caught his.]

Aelita: We can't leave you alone for two seconds can we?

Odd: Don't go stealing my jokes.

Aelita: [sass sass] If I would steal something, it needs to have value.

[Aelita creates an energy field in her free hand. Odd takes aim.]

[The kankrelat is panicked. Looks left, right, then accepts its fate and jumps off the ring toward them trying to knock them off. Odd and Aelita attack it at the same time and destroy it.

Aelita sets him down at a hole in the side of the innermost ring. It's a tunnel.]

Odd: Thanks. Einstein is there anyway to keep my board around more? You know, so it isn't destroyed by 1 Kankrelat!

Jeremie: Well, I could always make it your weapon instead of your laser arrows. But good luck trying to destroy monsters with a half pipe grind.

[They start running down the tunnel. They banter as they run.]

Odd: Please, if anything it would be 360 kick flip

Aelita: What if you ollied under a krab's foot or a Blox and sent it flying?

Odd: Oh, even better.

* * *

[Cut to the gym where students are huddled in a corner while Ulrich, William, and Jim stand guard by the door barricaded with a Pommel Horse and a couple of the mats.]

Hiroki: This is so unfair. I'm gonna make a fortune and never have a chance to spend it.

William: What are you talking about?

Hiroki: The contest. You won.

William: I don't think we're counting that. What about the fortune?

Hiroki: [realizes he's said too much] Um. Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway so, I may have sort have run an Ulumi pool where people could bet on the match.

William: [furious] Who knew?

Hiroki: [meekly] Everyone in the school except Yumi. And you two.

William: Well, he couldn't have had too many bets more than me.

Hiroki: He had all the bets.

William: What?

Hiroki: Nobody thought you were going to beat Ulrich. Sorry man. That's just how it is.

[William dumbstruck. Holes in the walls burst open as the monsters open fire.

The students fight back. Ulrich and William are on the front lines. Ulrich has taken apart the shears to make two pointy swords. He runs by a trio of creepers and takes each one down with a light slash. He's having fun.

William lands a few hits with the weed Wacker, but no critical damage. He's clearly mad and trying to outdo Ulrich.

Graven is useless as he hides in the corner.

A Blox turns on Milly and Tamiya. It fires a fire ring at them. Hiroki shows up to push the two out of the way, but he gets hit in the back of his legs, burning him. William gets the Blox from behind a second later.

Jim defends some students by blowing up a couple of Kankrelats with his nail gun.

Ulrich kicks the legs out from underneath a tarantula. It goes down but aims its blasters at Ulrich's feet. The blast scorches Ulrich's feet and he falls to the ground, dropping a sword. The tarantula swipes at him and knocks away the sword in his hand. He reaches for the one he dropped and a creeper's laser sending it spinning cross the gym floor.

The tarantula about to finish off Ulrich …

…And suddenly turns to ice.

Show Laura and Sissi holding one of the parts torn out from the Blox in the dorms. Laura is holding the XANA eye from the Blox as an emitter and Sissi is holding a blue glowing engine-like piece that seemed to power it. They sweep it across the gym freezing most of the monsters or slowing them down allowing William to cut them down.

Ulrich and Jim each slash and fire to kill one more monster each.

The gym is empty of threats.]

Ulrich: [collapses back onto his behind in exhaustion] Woah.

Jim: [joyous] We did it. I have no idea what these things are, but they didn't stand a chance.

* * *

[Immediately cut to Yumi getting blasted through the front window of the Hermitage. Lasers continue to rain in from the broken window and decimate the wall behind her.]

Yumi: Okay, officially overwhelmed. Time to call backup.

[pulls out her crushed phone. Nothing happens when she presses buttons.]

Yumi: "Buy a smartphone" Odd said. "We don't need solid brick Nokiasnow that we won't be attacked every other day."

[She hears the door burst open and she dives down the stairs into the basement before they see her. She's running through the basement's twists and turns. She spots more monsters, two creepers, around the corner coming out of a room. She hears scuttling coming louder down the stairs. She throws her staff at the two creepers, then jumps feet first into it. Her weight forces the staff down onto the Creeper's necks, crunching them against the ground.

She kicks her staff up into her hand and continues into the room the creepers just exited. It's a refrigeration room with hooks hanging from each side. She slams the door shut and locks it.]

Yumi: [panting] There... No way for you… to get in he-

[And then she sees the giant gaping hole in the wall.

Inside the hole is another room. Its obviously been trampled from the monsters passing through. The monsters busted the hole in the wall to allow them to pass through. Yumi sees a couch on the other side of the wall. She drags it over the broken wall and slams it against the door just as the scratching, laser fire, and slams from monsters hitting the other side intensifies. Yumi steps back and uses her staff to support her weight while she takes a couple deep breaths.

Then she notices something off to the side of the newly exposed room.]

Yumi: [Amazed] Oh.

* * *

[Cut to the park in front of Kadic. All appears normal. The laser fire sounds distant and muffled.

Then the man who attacked Odd and Diva shoves his hand up into frame. Show a different angle. The woodland has scorch marks all over it. The ground is torn up. The man's two dogs are whimpering on the ground some distance away from all the damage, clearly hurt. The man himself is stuck under a tree that apparently cracked in half and collapses on top of him. Having just woke up, he manages to push the branches that had him pinned down away and sits up. He clutches his chest in pain.

FLASHBACK

_Diva: [leans down to check on Odd] You awake?_

_Odd: [semi-conscious and babbling.] I don't know know can't tell_

_Diva: It's okay, we'll get you back to the school and-_

_PHT PHT_

_Diva hits the ground. The man has taken out a silenced Desert Eagle handgun and doubled tapped before either of them had noticed._

_Odd: [doesn't know what's happening, but clearly terrified] …AH._

_?: No witnesses._

_[He reaches down to try to continue the memory snatching process on Odd._

_Diva grabs his hand before he can try. Behind him, his dogs start barking fiercely.]_

_Grigory: [bewildered] How are you-_

_[The man's eyes lock onto Diva standing behind him._

With XANA symbols in her eyes.]

[Opening Theme plays]

Episode 16 end.


	14. EP 17: I Want Skynet Back A

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

Episode 17: Let'5 Pl4y: I_W4nt_Skyn3t_- (Let's Play: I Want Skynet Back)

Grigory: oh shi-

[Diva? Backhands Grigory across the clearing. Grigory whistles. Two rottweilers bound out of the bushes and onto Diva?. Sparks leap from Diva?'s hand and propel Hannibal out of the clearing and into a tree 20 feet away.]

Current power: 0.01%

[Simultaneously, Diva? swings the guitar in her other hand to bash Scipio. Somehow the dog curves around the hit and haunches down its teeth into Diva?'s arm.

Her arm pixelates, shifts, and warps. The dog doesn't understand what it just bit into but doesn't let go. Electricity spreads from her arm to the guitar and arcs along either side of the head, making it look more like a battle axe than a guitar.]

Current power: 0.03%

[The dog's jaw passes completely through the girl's arm, the segment it had bit into warping and shifting across with an after-image effect following it. It returned to normal a split second later.

But not before she upper cuts with her new axe and sends Scipio far away into the bushes. A gauntlet closes on the back of her head. Grigory activates the gauntlet to try and snatch the girl's memory.

Unlike Odd, Diva? shows no reaction of pain. The only reaction she had was quickly knocking the arm down off her head and bushing her hand along the gauntlet. A wisp of purple sparks connects her fingers to the gauntlet and a memory card flicks out and into her hand. The machine shuts down.]

Current power: 0.05%

[Diva? slashes at Grigory with her axe. Grigory leaps back.]

Grigory: [breathing heavily] The girl said you can possess people right? But there's no supercomputer with towers for you to activate. How are you-

[Grigory interrupts himself & takes a few more silenced shots at Diva?. She holds up her guitar, now covered with purple sparks. The bullets curve toward the instrument as if it were a giant magnet, suspend in place a second, and then drop to the ground when she deactivates the field.]

Grigory: What's wrong? You can turn people to stone, clone yourself an army, disobey the laws of physics. Let's see you do that.

[The girl doesn't respond.]

Grigory: No, you're rather basic. When the pink haired brat said they almost killed you… she was more right than she realized.

[At him saying this, Diva? (still with a blank expression on her face) rushes at him.

He casually tosses a grenade at the girl.]

BA-

[The noise and explosion are instantly cut out.

The grenade, frozen in the middle of exploding, is warping in the same pixelated structure the girl was earlier. She has her hand grasped around the frozen explosive.]

Grigory: [bewilderment] What are you?

Current power: 0.09%

Diva?: [menacingly distorted] Who are we? [charges up electricity in hand with the grenade, making it brighter and expanding its glow.] Well, there's the symbolic answer, the biological answer, the historical answer, the obvious answer, and the [smiles]... spoiler answer.

Grigory: XANA.

[XANA throws the supercharged explosive at Grigory.]

-NG!

[Grigory goes flying

Trees CRASH to the ground and the ground is charred around where the blast went off.]

Maximum power reached: 0.1%

[XANA turns off its eyes and Diva's normal blue eyes return. The axe turns back into a guitar. She turns back to Odd.

Slowly walks over to him.

Stands over him.

Then smoke comes out of her mouth and collects in her hand. She leans over and lets it fall onto Odd's face. The smoke comes alive and wriggles into Odd's ear. For a split second, Odd's body has the same pixelated effect as before. Then it's perfectly normal.

And then she picks him up and throws him over her shoulder. She swings up her guitar as if to holster it on her back.]

* * *

[Match cut to Diva in the computer lab swinging down to whack a hornet out of the air just as it was about to sting Jeremie.]

Diva: What are these things?

Jeremie: Hornets. Monsters sent to try and kill us.

Diva: Very nonchalant about something trying to kill you.

Jeremie: Ah, you get used to it. Plus, they're not very well designed.

Diva: [defensive] They seem to be pretty well engineered.

Jeremie: Oh no. We destroy them super easily.

[A hornet wizzes into the computer lab and launches a laser that hits Jeremie in the shoulder.

Jeremie: OW!

Diva: Oops, sorry. [jumps up and whacks it out of the air.] That one got past me.

* * *

[Ulrich's phone rings.]

Ulrich: [puts Jeremie on speaker] Yeah Jeremie? I know. Can you check the science building for monster positions?

Jeremie: Ah, sure. Why?

Sissi: [jumps in] We got everyone here. Well, everyone not trapped by ice in their room is here … or in the science building. My point is there are monsters everywhere.

William: And Yumi?

Jeremie: I can't contact her. I'll check her phone GPS.

Graven: [from the corner of the room] She went into the sewers. She wanted to cut the monsters off at the source.

[Something blips on Jeremie's screen.]

Jeremie: Got it. She's at the Hermitage.

Ulrich: Is Aelita up for a tower activation?

Jeremie: We weren't able to complete the restoration process, but it should be enough. The RTTP will fix her completely.

* * *

[Aelita and Odd emerge from the desert tunnel. Three megatanks surprise them. Krabs are shooting down from the crater's edge next to the super krabs giant legs that split into three claws each. They can see the belly of the krab now. It's covered in dense red steel and has a ventral port just as the normal krabs do, except this one reveals that the super krab has an interior. It was more like a battle platform allowing the Hornets they could see buzzing inside to safely shoot from the edges of the hole and fly out to attack.]

Odd: The last time we came here, we only had to deal with one megatank.

Aelita: Something else is different this time. Now they have to deal with both of us.

[Odd makes his overboard spawn again. He flies up trying to shoot the enemies on the crater's edge. Aelita tries throwing a few energy fields to destroy hornets, but they fire back and she can't get close to the tower with the return fire from the krabs.]

* * *

[William smashes a blox with his weedwhacker. He kicks it into the water.]

William: [voice over] I'm going to find Yumi.

_Flashback _

_[In the gymnasium…]_

_William: She might need help since she hasn't contacted us._

_End Flashback_

Cut back to present. Ulrich is running through the forest.

Ulrich: [voiceover] And I'll go to the factory.

_Flashback_

_William: If the monsters are going through the sewers, then it would be faster to go above ground._

_Ulrich: Hey Spiderman._

_[William turns back to him.]_

_Ulrich: What is the match about?_

_William: Winner got a week to ask Yumi out without the other interfering._

_Ulrich: I thought we were on good terms. If you think you can beat me just to have a shot at Yumi you're-_

_William: You challenged me._

_Ulrich: [surprise] What? Why would I do that?_

_William: I don't know why. Maybe you thought you were losing Yumi?_

_Ulrich: Get real, you said it yourself that you aren't in first place for the race for Yumi._

_William: And I also said you needed to talk to Yumi. Actually, talk with her and get an answer. But you took too long to get around to it._

_Ulrich: Why do I have to do anything? Why can't we just… let things happen?_

_William: Because then nothing changes. I took action. I worked hard, I earned my place on the team, and I talked with her. It's not that hard. __And all you've done, ever since the supercomputer was turned off, you barely talked with her. And when we turned it back on, you didn't even pay attention to her. So don't take it out on me when you two start fighting._

_Ulrich: It may have looked that way to you, but we were finally on the same page. It was working._

_William: That's what you think._

_Ulrich: [angry] We would be fine if you would just get it through your head how the way things are supposed to be?_

_William: And how are they supposed to be!? All I want is a chance. But you can't let me have even have one. So thank you. This actually worked out for me. For the next week-_

_Ulrich: Oh no. We're not counting that. I didn't know what Hiroki was talking about. After this is over, we're doing this the right way._

_William: Fine._

_Ulrich: Fine!_

_End Flashback_

[He's back in the present. He picks himself up off the tree he was resting against and breaks out into a sprint for the factory.

But there's something rustling behind him. Grigory is watching him. He's injured and has labored breathing, but he's slowly following Ulrich.]

* * *

[Another monster is about to attack Jeremie, but Diva smashes it again.]

Jeremie: [confused] More monsters. What's strange is that the monsters aren't specters. They're real robots, which means they must be materialized from a scanner.

Diva: You mean those things downstairs. [taps her foot on the floor]

Jeremie: Normally yes, but I've checked and those aren't infected.

Diva: Well are there scanners anywhere else?

* * *

[Yumi steps through the hole in the wall to the new room. She found herself in a simple room with white walls that seemed freshly plastered. From the center of the ceiling there dangled an electrical cable, a single bulb swaying slightly at the end of it. The only furniture was a dark leather couch that had been arranged to face a cabinet resting against the opposite wall, on which a television set and a DVD player sat. They were old models: the TV was deeper than it was wide, with a curved screen and a protruding cathode ray tube that pressed against the wall. However, both the TV and couch were torn to shreds and pieces by the monsters that had passed through the room. The path of destruction lead through the hole she just came through and off to the left where there was a computer terminal.

And a scanner.

The scanner hums to life, then opens with a burst of steam. A newborn blox scuttles out of the scanner, then stops as it spots Yumi. The blox immediately fires as Yumi runs toward it. Its laser snaps her staff in half. She thrusts the remaining good half into its eye. The blow sends its top block spinning around on its base, then it falls over and slowly stops moving.]

Yumi: Nice [tosses her broken staff over her shoulder and walks over to the console.]

[As soon as she hits a key on the console, the TV over across the room spurts to life. It tries to display whatever was stored in the DVD player, but with the screen smashed, all that came out was the audio.

Franz: "I have a plan to restore you to full health, but … complications might arise."

Yumi: Franz Hopper? Aelita needs to be here to hear this. Now. What can you tell me?

* * *

[In the computer lab at the factory, Diva looks away from "guarding" the ceiling entrance to the supercomputer control room and toward the direction of the Hermitage. Jeremie gets a notification on his screen a second later.]

Jeremie: A new access point? What could this be?

[He hits enter. A window pops up with Yumi's face on it.]

Jeremie: Yumi? Where are you?

Yumi: Underneath the Hermitage. There's a whole secret room down here with a scanner.

Jeremie: Huh, Franz always seemed like the type to work from home.

Yumi: Can you take control from there and shut it down?

Jeremie: Shouldn't be too much of an issue. It will just take a minute.

[Franz's speech continued in the background.]

Franz: …research for Project Carthage. When we first started on the project…

* * *

Aelita: Energy field. [she aims at the megatank, but the shot deflects off its shell.]

[Odd is flying around on his board. He blasts a few hornets with laser arrows.]

Odd: Yes, one.

[Kills another hornet.]

Odd: Two! Jeremie are you keeping score?

Jeremie: Not the time!

[A laser grid from a megatank forces Odd to swerve to the side. Aelita throws a few energy fields at the krabs at the edge of the crater. They brace and deflect them off their shells. She takes cover behind the rocks at the base of the walls. Odd joins her. Lasers are flying above them.]

Aelita: Now what?

Odd: Now the cavalry charges.

Aelita: Have you ever dealt with anything like this before?

Odd: Just a super blox. Wall of Bloxs… blockade… BLOXADE! Anyway, it didn't have rolly friends and helicopter hornets like this one.

Aelita: What did you do?

Odd: Looked for its weak point, charged in and hit it. And if I had to guess, XANA would want to put it in the belly of the beast, right where all those monsters are dropping out. [he prepares to pounce into action.] Geronimo.

Aelita: [holds him back.] Wait, something feels off. What if there are more monsters inside or it drops something on you.

Odd: Then you'll tank. Make a shield in front of me.

[Aelita projects an energy shield in front of Odd that continues moving. He moves behind it, slowing down to keep pace. The incoming lasers bounce off the front of the shield. The megatanks charge up. Odd blasts one apart. As they fire, Odd swerves to the side and fires. Another megatank goes down.

As he's doing this, Aelita flies up and around the super krab's legs. She looks up and notices the ventral port the monsters had jumped through begins to light up.]

Aelita: Odd!

[Aelita flips back from the tower. Odd is paying too much attention to the monsters to notice her. The giant circle blasts down creating a circular wall of energy around the tower. The monsters inside the wall by the tower are safe, but the wall comes crashing down on Odd.]

Odd  
LP 100 - 0

[After the ventral port stops firing, more hornets fly down. Aelita retreats back to the rock.]

Aelita: [fearful realization] Jeremie? A lot has changed, hasn't it?

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	15. EP 17: I Want Skynet Back B

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

Diva: Make sure to check for counter offenses set up if you try to take control.

Jeremie: Ahuh. [concentrated]

Diva: Also, if you're trying to deactivate something, it's easier to shove its call to the end of the call stack than delete it.

Jeremie: I know.

Diva: And make sure there's nothing embedded in the video call.

[Jeremie pauses, then opens up a window with scrolling code attached to the face cam with Yumi. He hits a few keys, then part of the code turns red and the window closes.]

Jeremie: How do you know this stuff again?

Diva: [secret agent voice] I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you. [dead silence] Hahahahaha.

[Jeremie isn't amused at Diva's "joke".]

Jeremie: Odd sense of humor.

Diva: I thought it was a Diva sense of humor. {This is an English based joke, but either way, Diva would understand both languages so it works}

[The elevator door opens and Odd steps out, his hair still frazzled from when he was attacked before.]

Odd: Wow. That curtain call was unexpected. Well, I'm just watching here. I'll head to the school and help out there. Diva you stay here and keep protecting Jeremie. What would we do without the brains of the operation?

Diva: I'll come with you. He just took care of the monsters.

Jeremie: And I have cameras to see if monsters are nearby. I can take care of myself.

Odd: That's a lie. You would forget to eat, drink and sleep if someone didn't tell you.

[Diva walks backward into the elevator and she and Odd go up.]

Jeremie: Okay, I'm shutting it down.

Yumi: Wait! Instead, can you virtualize me first?

Jeremie: Well, it is a scanner.

[Yumi kicks some pieces of the monsters she destroyed out of the scanner and steps inside.]

Jeremie: Transfer Yumi, Scanner Yumi, Virtualization.

[Yumi is virtualized in the desert sector.

She wore a **dark violet sleeveless gi **with a **black liner** and a **flower pattern** on it. She had **short black hair** with a small pink hairpin in and had **two grey metal studs** above her eyebrows. She wore **grey kneepads** and a **lilac bracer** on her left arm. She had **long dark violet arm sleeves** that end in **fingerless gloves**. Her kneepads connected to **dark red shin guards** that transitioned to her **heavy dark red boots** with a pink locking strap. Attached to the small of her back was a **small turquoise rod**.

She lands at the edge of the crater on top of a krab. She flicks out her wrist and a **glowing fan** with a sakura blossom pattern on it appears in her hand. She throws her fan and cuts the front legs of another krab, then throws another fan into the eye of XANA of the krab she's standing on. She backflips off before it quivers and explodes. She catches her fans as they return to her.

Yumi looks at all the other krabs around the edge of the crater. Some turn to aim at her.]

Yumi: What's with the seafood platter.

[She sees the super krab.]

Yumi: Woah.

[She throws her fans at its legs, but they just bounce off of the golden metal.]

Yumi: How are we supposed to crack its shell?

* * *

[Ulrich arrives at the factory. As he dashes in the front door, Grigory watches him from the street, then follows him over the bridge. Inside the factory, Ulrich swings down from one of the ropes hanging next to the ledge and lands next to the elevator. Ulrich hits the button by the door and the elevator descends.

* * *

[Jeremie pulls up a feed of all the security cameras in the factory. He expands the one of the elevator. He can see Ulrich inside. Jeremie calls Ulrich from the computer. He adjusts his headset.]

* * *

Jeremie: [from the speakers in the elevator] Ulrich good to see you in one piece. Aelita and Yumi need help at the tower.

Ulrich: Then I better not keep them waiting. "Once more into the breech" and all that. [he smiles]

Jeremie: You happy about something?

Ulrich: I needed this. Hey, do you think we can keep the supercomputer on for a little while longer after we shut down the tower?

Jeremie: You know it's dangerous to keep the supercomputer on. We didn't even finish Aelita's restoration and an attack happens.

Ulrich: Yeah, but XANA needs time to recharge before the next attack. It's just, me and William wanted to test something. We had, had a bet on it.

Jeremie: [smirks. He knows what he's talking about.] If you can manage to not be devirtualized, then a few extra minutes won't hurt. But if you do, I'm not waiting 12 hours to shut off the supercomputer.

Ulrich: It's a deal then.

* * *

[Odd and Diva emerge from the manhole in the park. They start running toward the gymnasium. Lasers cross their path. They dive in some bushes.]

Sissi: Hey! Get your own. Haven't you heard three's a crowd.

[Sissi, also in the bushes, is holding a ladder against her leg. They peak out and see two tarantulas guarding the door to the science building. Other monsters are on patrol around it. There are burn marks around the doors and all the windows on the first floor are broken.]

Odd: What are you doing here?

Sissi: What does it look like? I'm saving everyone in there from the monsters.

Odd: You came all the way over here by yourself?

Sissi: Of course, you think I can't do it on my own? Well also, Laura did ask for parts to create weapons from the monsters. Something about "exponentially increasing our chances of survival."

Odd: Those Einsteins love throwing out that "exponentially" word don't they.

Sissi: They think it makes them soooo smart. What does it even mean?

Diva: [matter of fact] Anything whose rate of change must be expressed using exponents. [they stare at her.] So "greater very fast".

Sissi: [satisfied] Oh, so that's what.

Odd: We're not getting in the front.

Sissi: That's what the ladder's for.

Diva: If only we had a way to draw those monsters away.

Odd: [looks towards the lockers] I think I might know.

Diva: [logic] But they would never chase you when they have ranged weapons and you're moving away from what they are guarding.

Odd: [changes tune] Oh, you're right.

Diva: [realized she corrects too far.] But if you're a high priority target, they might risk chasing you.

Odd: [changes tune again] Of course, no one could take their eyes off me.

* * *

[Back in the dessert, humming fills the air. An orange aura covers a boulder by the edge of the crater. Yumi is using telekinesis. She lifts up a boulder, spins it around her to let it build up momentum and then releases her ability. The boulder takes out two krabs as it tumbles into the crater.

Aelita is startled as there's a thump, dust clouds kick up, and the rock rolls past her.]

Aelita: [realization] Yumi! It's legs!

[Aelita provides an example as she uses creativity. The ground around the super krab's left front leg deletes itself. Its pincers fail to find purchase and the leg slides into the crater. The giant super krab shifts a bit as it rebalances.]

Yumi: Nice. I get it.

[Yumi throws her fans near the base of the left back pincer, creating cracks in the ground. As they return to her, she uses telekinesis to slingshot them around her and repeats this several times. She runs up and takes out the turquoise pole. From its ends materialize the ends of a staff with a curling white vines pattern curling around it. She shoves it into the cracks and uses it as a lever to force the cracks to widen.

Yumi starts to use telekinesis to lift up another boulder. The krabs from the other side of the crater have circled around to attack her. She stops and cartwheel dodges, dropping the rock. Yumi throws a fan in the middle of her dodge. The krab braces and deflects it upward. Aelita, from the bottom of the crater, throws an energy field up. It hits the fan, covering it in pink energy and knocking it back down. It pierces the krab's shell right on the eye. The pink energy spreads to the krab as it glows, shutters, and explodes. The explosion knocks the fan right back into Yumi's hand.]

Aelita: What are we going to call that one?

Yumi: I dunno.

Aelita: Sunset Overdrive?

Yumi: Maybe. Let's pitch it to Odd.

[Yumi resumes telekinesis. She repeats what she did before with this boulder and knocks the final leg on the super krab's left side into the crater. The entire beast of a monster tilts as it falls into the lip of the crater, crushes the ground at the top of the crater, and causing debris to fall. Its left legs are pinned underneath it and stick out into the ground floor of the crater. With all the debris and dust, Aelita sees her chance.

A Megatank spots her and attempts to roll over and crush her.]

Aelita: Energy Shield.

[Aelita creates an energy shield and projects it across the ground. As the megatank passes through it, it's stunned and slows to a halt. It quickly starts to move again, but Aelita's already activated her wings and flown past it. She flies through the side of the tower, her wings auto deactivate, and she lands in a roll.]

Aelita: Fun. I need to rush more often.

[She walks to the center of the platform. A blue aura covers her, and she floats up to second level. Once she lands, she reaches out to make the screen appear. She places her hand on it.

"Aelita" appears.

She types in "Code Lyoko"]

Aelita: Tower deactivated. Ready for a Return to the past?

* * *

[In real life, all the monsters freeze.]

Odd: Hey, Aelita deactivated the tower. It looks like they…

[The monsters start moving again.]

Odd: [sighs] Nevermind. Looks like they have extended warranties.

* * *

[Jeremie's screen lights up. The superscan locates another tower.]

Jeremie: You're going to hate me for this.

Aelita: Why would I hate you?

Jeremie: There's another activated tower. Same masking trick as, oh wait, you wouldn't remember. XANA activated two towers, the second masks the first. The second one is in Carthage.

Aelita: But we just came from there.

Jeremie: [sarcastic] Oh, good. Then you know the way.

Yumi: [lab speakers] If It was easy, it wouldn't be XANA.

[Jeremie receives a call.]

CRUSH

[Jeremie holds the headset away from his ear at the loud noise.]

* * *

[In the Hermitage, William smashes the last of the monsters with weedwhacker. He tosses the wrecked tool to the side. He is looking at the scanner.]

* * *

William: [headset] So I found another [SMASH] another scanner. Can you activate it and send me to the tower?

Jeremie: You have got to be kidding me. I just shut it down!

* * *

[Aelita is flying on her wings. Yumi is riding her Overwing. It's a metal **hovering platform** with a handlebar from the frame on the front. The bottom has a fin sticking out of it.

They land the at edge of the sector. There are no other plateaus, just wires from all of the plateaus flying out past them and disappearing toward the white horizon.]

Jeremie: I've entered the code for the transporter. SCIPIO [presses enter]

[A sphere descends from the sky and approaches the girls. One side has the eye of XANA on it. As it rotates, there is a flash and one side of the sphere disappears out of sight. The transporters rotates around the girls and there is another flash. On the next rotation, it's a complete sphere again and it takes off toward the horizon with its passengers.]

* * *

[Jeremie has an alert on his computer. He looks over. The window of the security footage is flashing. The window shows Grigory crossing the bridge.]

* * *

[Ulrich is on his way to the desert sectors edge. He's sprinting at impossible speeds with a blue after trail streaming behind him.]

Jeremie: Ulrich wait.

[Ulrich slams on the breaks and his feet skid for several meters before stopping, kicking up dust. The first clear view of his avatar can be seen.

Here, his brown **hair** was almost **black**. He wore a **manila bandanna** and a **yellow skintight streamline suit** with **black arrow** accents down the length of it. On his back, he was equipped with a dullish **green scabbard** on his back that curved around his torso to clip to the front of his suit. The sabers in the scabbard were obviously longer than the scabbard's height so some size changing property was involved with the sheaths. The blades themselves were simple with a black hilt with yellow L shape accents as their only decoration. Two black bracers were on each wrist that he could use to block attacks.

Around his waist was an **olive-green belt** that had loops for him to place his swords through if he wanted to carry them that way instead of his back for whatever reason. The leggings of the suit were black on the outside, yellow on inside. Tall **maroon boots** with a high cuff that had a red stripe on it.]

Ulrich: Okay first, I'm too late for the tower deactivation and now you want me to go back?

Jeremie: We have an unexpected guest with what looks like a claw on his arm. I think you'll want to go meet him. I need you to go to a tower.

Ulrich: Him? [changes his tune] Okay.

[Ulrich super sprints back in another direction from where he came from and away from the edge of the sector.]

* * *

Jeremie: Transfer, Scanner, Virtualization.

[William is virtualized directly into Carthage in the Arena. He lands on an aqua blue floor with a giant white eye of XANA on it. The floor was suspended within a larger sphere that was spinning around in all directions, a slit in the side the only indication that it was moving. Soon it slowed down and eventually settled into place at the top of the eye stalk. A white light emanated from the opening, beckoning to the labyrinth beyond.

William had **messy black hair**. Her wore a **grey skin suit**. He had **black shoulder pads** with a **red outline**. He wore a **black plackart** over his torso with red stripes running down the side. On either arm, he wore **long black gloves** that have **tattered ends**. The frayed ends transition from **black to grey to orange frayed tips** and glow softly like embers. Over the glove on his left forearm, he had a **chrome spiked gauntlet**. He had two noticeable **black belts** wrapped around his upper left leg. He also has an **orange corruption** over his skin suit. Unlike the precise circuits on the other Lyoko Warriors, the pattern is like **tendrils** creeping over his skin.

Then a sphere transporter zooms in through the rotating gap in the outer dome. The sphere opens and Yumi and Aelita step out.]

Aelita: Woah! Who is that? William?

William: Yeah.

Aelita: Really? Kinda evil. Or emo. Evo?

William: It's XANA's fault. He did something to my avatar. Now it doesn't update.

Jeremie: Everything bad is XANA's fault. We've established this. Now it's time for the final sprint.

[The three run into the breach in the wall, cross the bridge. As they cross, the wall at the end parts into two small slabs and so does the wall behind that. Again and again forming a passage for them to run through.

They cross a huge white bridge into a T shaped intersection, each new branch of the bridge leading into a passage on the other walls. Below the bridge was more pale blue pillars peeking through white mist that prevented them from seeing the bottom of the room. As they reach the crux of the intersection, a hoard of Creepers spawn on the bridge.

William summons his weapon. A zweihander with black tendrils surrounding the hilt and a ruby red pommel.]

William: What do we do Yumi?

Yumi: … Uh, we …

Aelita: Has anything changed in Carthage since I got my energy fields?

Jeremie: We made it so we don't need to trip a key.

William: So what do we do? [looks to Yumi]

[Yumi looks to Aelita]

Aelita: I'll take the lead with my shield. Apparently I have a shield now. Yumi, take out anything that would flank us. And rookie, you take care of the ones that come behind us when I poke in.

William: I've been here for 2 seasons! [they look at him] 5 months I mean.

[Aelita and Yumi throw energy fields and fans. A wave of creepers go down, but one lands a shot on Yumi.]

Yumi  
LP 100 - 60

Yumi: [grumbles to herself] Why is it always me!?

[Yumi jumps over a laser, rolls and double push kicks a creeper off the edge. The other creepers have locked their gaze on her and she's right in the middle of them. She rolls on the ground to avoid lasers. She's getting closer and closer to the edge, then, purposely, rolls off the bridge and hangs on with one hand. She watches as one of her fans falls into the mists below and prepares the remaining one in her free hand. Three creepers turn to finish her off. They charge up lasers in their mouths…

…just to get bisected by William. Yumi throws her remaining fan down. It arcs under the bridge, back up, and slices two creepers. She catches it as she flips back up and lands with a spin.

William super smokes over to the left wing of the intersection. Now the monsters have to split their attention between the three.

While Aelita was able to get a kill off the bat, every time she pokes out from behind her shield, she has to dodge back. She tries it again, but takes damage.

Aelita grimaces in frustration.]

Aelita  
LP 100 - 60

[Aelita retreats after she's hit and doesn't poke out again.

Cut to William exiting Supersmoke midair and kicks a creeper off the bridge as he lands.

He gives a thumbs up to Yumi. Pan to Aelita taking on a couple creepers trying to flank her on either side of her shield. She drops it and creates an energy field to take out the one on the left, but the one on her right gets her in the back and she's knocked to the ground.]

Aelita  
LP 60 - 20

[Aelita's avatar sparks from the damage.]

* * *

[Ulrich is dashing to a tower on an island connected the nearest plateau by a thin bridge. He runs through the wall of the tower leaving the blue after trail as he passes through.

He walks through the center platform and floats up. He lands on the second platform and the screen appears.

Jeremie: Okay, now touch the screen.

Ulrich: How long should this last?

Jeremie: Well, transposition only lasts short time as we're creating something new, while this is altering something that's already there.

Ulrich: So, longer than 13 minutes.

Jeremie: Ideally an hour.

Ulrich: And there won't be any negative consequences.

Jeremie: I didn't say that. I just made this on the fly. Ready?

Ulrich: There's no right answer is there? [touches the screen]

* * *

[Sam and Ms. Hertz, the science teacher at Kadic, enter a chemistry class room. There is a window looking out the North side of the building.]

Ms. Hertz: You sure this is where he said to come? I don't exactly have confidence in Della Robbia's planning skills.

Sam: The principal's daughter is with him.

Ms. Hertz: You're supposed to be convincing me, not proving my point.

[Sam looks out the window. She can see Diva, and Sissi in the bushes where the edge of campus meets the park. She turns to see Odd hiding behind the arches in the arcade lining the Cafeteria courtyard. Odd waves to her. He mimes skateboarding.

Sam nods in understanding and waves back, then and turns to Ms. Hertz.]

Ms. Hertz: Go get the students.

* * *

[Odd calls Sissi. She picks up in the bushes.]

Odd: Plan "Tony Hawk: Monster rally" is a go.

[Odd skates by on his board. He jumps up and grinds off a tarantula's head, shoving it to the ground. Then rides on teasing them.]

Odd: [falsely charming] Sorry Benedict and Eleanor. Normally, I would insult you, but I just don't have the time.

[The tarantulas roar as if they're pissed, then scamper after him. After the monsters leave, Ms. Hertz throws a fire extinguisher through the window. Sissi runs up and puts the ladder up. Sam arrives with the students. Diva climbs up and fastens the ladder to the window sill. Then lowers herself inside the classroom.]

Diva: [dramatic bow] Your savior has arrived.

Ms. Hertz: Now's not the time for showmanship uh miss uh... anyway we need to evacuate.

Sissi: [from below] Everyone is in the gym.

[Sam is the first one down the ladder. As soon as Sam hits the ground, she takes off toward the lockers.]

Sissi: Uh, the gym is the other way.

Sam: Yeah, but my board is this way.

* * *

[Cut to Diva's in another storage room of the science building. She's digging through some parts. She takes some, fits them together.]

Current power: 0.08%

Ms. Hertz: [in the hallway] Is there anyone still inside?!

[Diva looks up wide eyed and concerned, then takes a handful of parts and dumps them on the floor in front of her.

Then some sparks fly out of her hands and assemble the parts morphing them into something new with the same pixilation warping effect from before.

Maximum power reached: 0.1%

Ms. Hertz: [turns the corner into the doorway] What are you doing? Everyone else is out.

Diva: I know, I needed these. [Holds out the new pieces she made.] Laura said she needed them for a counter strategy.

Ms. Hertz: Strange. I don't remember having these-

Diva: We should get back. [steps past the teacher.]

* * *

[Cut to the gymnasium as all the students from science building and Ms. Hertz arrive at the gym.]

Delmas: Is that everyone?

Ms. Hertz: Yes, I double che - What, where did that girl with the guitar go?

[Jim is at guard by the door.]

Jim: Everyone, take positions in the intruder drill.

[All of the students line up against the wall. Show Nickolas is crouching in the corner. Laura has all the machines taken apart and is working on exposing some wires. Milly brings over a first kit to treat Hiroki's legs.

They all hear marching of the machines outside. Then all of a sudden, the noises stop. Jim gets suspicious and he carefully walks over to the door to the gym. He peers through the crack.

He watches.]

Jim: AHHH!

[Then he jumps back as the doors break off their hinges and the monsters flood in.]

* * *

[Odd is riding through the dining trailer courtyard. He's enjoying himself as he dodges a laser shot at his back. So much so, that he doesn't notice that a tarantula steps out from behind the Dining trailer, holds out an arm and he is clotheslined onto his back.

He's in a daze as it approaches him.

It fires down at him. He rolls, but he's still burned in the side. He can't move from the sudden pain.]

WHAM

[Sam has slammed her skateboard into the tarantula's face, knocking it onto its back. She helps him up, they have a cute moment where she smiles, then he smiles back.

Sam: Where have you been all this time?

Odd: Saving the day. Where did you think?

Sam: Eating, or a food coma.

Odd: I don't get food comas. I get food epilepsy.

Sam: You mean starving?

Odd: [joking] Oh that's what it's called.

[Odd takes a running start and jumps onto his board. They both ride off as the tarantula struggles to flip itself onto its feet.]

* * *

[In Carthage, they are almost through the room. Aelita sees a creeper prepare to attack Yumi from behind.]

Aelita: Yumi!

[Aelita projects her shield across the room to stun the would be assassin. She activates her wings and tries flying, but a creeper on the edge of the room shoots her down, landing a shot on her wing. She hits the metal bridge and manages to stay on.

Aelita, frustrated, sees a creeper right in front of her and tries to throw an energy field at it. It moves its head and the attack misses entirely.

Then she tries to straight up punch it in its face. She lands a hit, but it barely causes the creeper to move its head. It then swishes its tail around and sweeps her legs out from under her. She's hit by a laser before she can get up.]

Aelita  
LP 20 - 0

William: NO!

* * *

[The scanner bursts open in a cloud of steam.

Aelita bangs her head against the scanner.]

* * *

[Yumi takes out Aelita's slayer in revenge.]

Yumi: [As her fan returns to her] Serves you right.

William: We can't waste any more time here.

[There are three more creepers guarding the exit they need to pass through.]

William: Heaven…

[His zweihander glows white as he channels virtual energy into it.]

William: Piercer!

[He unleashes a white arc of energy from a sword slash and obliterates the creepers. They are sliced in half, the tails hanging in the air for a second before they collapse and then explode a second later.

He and Yumi move on.]

William: I'll take point. You're the only one left that can deactivate towers.

[They enter another room. The floor ends in a balcony. In from of them is another tower with a red aura, its wires draping from the bottom and connecting the tower to the wall. Again, there is only mist far below. And in front of them is…

PHLEW

PHLEW

PHLEW

[All the creepers in the room unleash a volley of lasers on them. William slams his blade into the ground and he and Yumi use it as a shield against all the lasers. Yumi peaks out. There's a half a dozen creepers in the room and two mantas behind them guarding the tower.]

William: Too many to charge through.

Yumi: Just use Heaven Piercer.

William: I only have enough energy for the one.

Yumi: Then keep blocking. Their attacks are 40 LP, it shouldn't take long to charge up another.

[By the time the creepers have charged up another volley, Yumi has already rolled back into the hallway. William heaves the sword up onto his shoulder and feints an attack before he blocks.]

William: Jeremie?

Jeremie: You're good.

William: Heaven Piercer!

[This time, when he sends out the arc, the creepers fall flat against the ground and the attack safety passes over them. William looks disgruntled. From behind him, Yumi throws her last fan.]

VSHUR

[One of the mantas shoots Yumi's fan as it tries to pierce the other manta. It spins down into the mists below. The two retreat back into the hallway.]

William: Well, there goes all of our ranged options.

Yumi: You could throw the sword.

William: And then what would I do after that?

Yumi: You would hold up your hand, the sword hilt would turn orange, and it flies back into your hand, and if we're lucky, it takes out some on the return trip.

William: Like Mjonier?

[Yumi nods.]

William: I CAN DO THAT?!

Yumi: You could when you were Xanafied.

[William impales the sword into the other wall of the hallway. He holds up his hand.

Nothing happens.

Yumi: [channeling her inner Skywalker] …feel the force around you.

William: [irritated] Not helping… It's not working. When specifically did I use it? Did I use it to devirtualize you?

Yumi: [Yumi, the boss, lets him down gently] Oh nonono. You tried to. I kicked you off a cliff. [points to the deathtrap of the room] How are we going to do this? I couldn't get through that.

William: I can speed run through with super smoke.

Yumi: But you can't deactivate the tower.

Jeremie: Not yet.

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	16. EP 17: I Want Skynet Back C

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Grigory is on the factory floor walking toward the elevator. He has his gauntlet on one hand and a pistol in the other. As he makes to push the elevator button, the door opens.

And Grigory gets a flying knee in the face

He then proceeds to fly across the entire width of the factory to the opposing wall.]

THUD

[He gets his hands under him and looks up to see Ulrich walking out of the elevator.

But not Ulrich in his olive-green jacket. It's Ulrich in his yellow skintight streamline suit, a bandana and two swords in his scabbard on his back.]

Ulrich: I've come here to chew bubblegum and kick a$$. And I'm all out of bubblegum.

Grigory: [grunts and stands up.] Finally, someone who appreciates the classics.

Ulrich: [annoyed] Okay, I show up dressed like _The Bride_, wearing Solid Snake's bandana, with dual sabers, QUOTING CLINT EASTWOOD, and that's your response?

Grigory: Believe me [recalling something] … you are not the strangest thing I've seen today. Now do you want a rematch?

Jeremie: [comms] Ulrich, you may have an hour, but are you going to waste it talking? As long as you have energy left, you can come back to help Yumi.

Ulrich: Jeremie, please. Who do you think I am? Odd?

Grigory: A quick question before we start. Do you-

BANG

[cuts himself off to shoot.]

[Ulrich deflects the bullet with a slight tap from his saber.]

[beat]

PLINK

[It awkwardly hits the far away wall at the end the room. Ulrich's sword glows blue from the impact.]

Ulrich: Super sprint!

[He walks over to Grigory, a blue aftertrail leaving behind him. When Grigory comes into frame, he's in slow mo. Ulrich easily yonks the gun out of Grigory's hand and tosses it away.]

Ulrich: Yonk.

[Time goes back to normal. The blue from Ulrich's sword finishes dissipating.] {The blue glow from impacts dissipates in less than a second. That's how fast he was.}

Grigory: [whistles] IMPRESSIVE. WHAT POWER IS THAT?

Ulrich: Why are you shouting, I'm right- [realization]

[Ulrich spins around and smashes the flat of each blade into the two rottweilers Grigory has signaled with his whistle. Each weapon intercepted them midair and he slammed them to the ground.]

Ulrich: You are _not_ little diggity dogs are you?

[Grigory activates the memory machine and closes on Ulrich's unguarded head.]

Ulrich: Denied.

[Ulrich performs a Lan Fa, a high kick with the back of his foot, and absolutely devastates Grigory's face. This time, he went halfway across the length of the cathedral room and skidded along the factory floor the rest of the way until he hit the wall. Grigory stands up, slower this time, and ducks into the door to the other section of the factory.]

Ulrich: [comms] Our uninvited guest is running to the abandoned part of the factory.

Jeremie: [comms] Ulrich, you're going to have to be more specific. It's all abandoned.

Ulrich: [comms] The part you told us never to go to because it was so in decay.

Jeremie: [comms] Follow him, neutralize him, and get back here. In 5 minutes.

Ulrich: Touchy, are we?

Jeremie: Your power is super speed. I'm budgeting for you messing around.

Ulrich: [grins] Super Sprint. [follows Grigory through the door.]

* * *

[The monsters are pouring through the doors of the gymnasium. The ice blaster Sissi and Laura brought is firing white-blue streams into the onslaught. Everyone is hiding behind stacked mats and what sports equipment is in the gym.

And then the Ice blaster runs out. There is nothing that holds the monsters back.

Jim gets hit by a laser and goes down.

Tameia gets hit and falls.

Ms. Hertz is hit.

Sissi is hit.

Cut to the door as two blox block out the light from outside. Then they both fall as Odd and Sam slam into them.]

Odd: Did someone order a, actually no food jokes, I'm too hungry. BANZAI!

[While the battle is going on inside, Diva is waiting outside the gym. She waits until she sees Odd fighting in the gym. She takes the guitar in her hands and twists. The XANA symbols flashes in her eyes as she pulls the head ever so slightly so that its casing cracks apart.

A kankrelat walks up to her. She holds out her arm. The kankrelot charges up a laser.]

PHLEW

[The tiny bot burns her arm, and a scorch mark is painted up the entire length of her forearm. Nothing changes about her face as she is burned.

Cut back to the gym interior. A hornet falls out of the sky and onto Odd, knocking him to the floor. He kicks it off just as a creeper replaces it. Sam sees this, but a blox launches an ice beam across the floor, freezing her and her board to the ground.]

Sam: AH! Odd!

[Odd turns around just in time to see…

The creeper being smash by Diva and her guitar. This hit completely wrecks her "makeshift" weapon and its head falls off.]

Odd: Wow, thanks for the save.

Diva: No problem. I'm always here to help.

Odd: [spots her arm] Hey should you be up? That looks nasty.

Diva: [nonchalant] Oh please. This is nothing. I'm immortal. Here, I found these on the way.

[She slings a bow and quiver of arrows from her back and into Odd's hands with the precision and fluidity of a machine programmed to do so. Before Odd has a chance to say anything, she's already off and toward Laura.

Odd knocks an arrow and aims at the ice around Sam's feet.]

Sam: WAIT! Have you ever fired a bow before?

Odd: No but I have shot a metric ocean liner's worth of arrows.

[He lands the shot at Sam's feet and shatters the ice.

He's grinning fabulously.

Odd fires arrow after arrow, turning the monsters into pincushions.]

Odd: LASER, I mean, REGULAR ARROW, REGULAR ARROW, REGULAR ARROW.

[Under the onslaught of the attack, Diva delivers the parts to Laura.]

Diva: Here, everything you asked for.

Laura: About time.

[As soon as Diva dumps the parts on Laura, she begins to work.]

Diva: [passive aggressive] Fun fact: did you know that if you're nice to people, they respect you.

Laura: [sarcastic] I had no idea such an obscure fact could be so helpful.

[They glare at each other and then go back to what they were doing.]

Laura: [As she starts working with the parts] Weird. These fit perfectly with the robots.

* * *

[Cut to Carthage with William and Yumi. They are on the second floor of a tower. Yumi and William both place a hand on the screen.

On Jeremie's screen, there are two bars under each of the avatars of Yumi and William.

Yumi's bar has 8%

William has 0%.

The bars balance out to 4% each.]

William: [swagger] [wiggles his fingers] Codeless no more.

[They both exit the tower. William uses super smoke on himself. Jeremie summons the Overwing. Yumi flips onto it for no reason. They retrace their path to the tower room. The monsters are immediately alerted to their presence and fire. Yumi's vehicle is destroyed. She flies through the air and lands on a manta.]

Yumi: Jeremie, you gave me new fans right?

Jeremie: [smug] Who do you think you're talking to?

[Yumi summons two fans and does a double down strike into the manta.

She jumps to the tower, but the other manta had just released a tracking mine. She notices it just as it intercepts her and blows up just as she touches the tower.]

Yumi  
LP 60 - 0

William: No!

[He throws his sword. It splits one creeper in half and impales another. The only problem, the 2nd one's death explosion sends the sword over the edge. The smoke particles from the monsters' deaths linger.]

William: Damn.

* * *

[Yumi is still hurt when coming out of the scanner. She still has all the injuries and burns on her clothes from her fights in the Hermitage and sewer.

Yumi almost bangs her hand on the scanner floor but stops herself.]

Yumi: [Japanese] No Yumi. You're better than that.

* * *

[Back on Lyoko, William weaves around monsters with super smoke. Pan to the tower as the mantas lay mines in front of the tower. They blow up just as William zooms to the tower and he's knocked back onto the platform.]

William  
LP 100 - 25

* * *

[_Real Life_\- by Greek Fire starts playing]

[The fight has taken Ulrich and the man with the dogs to a different part of the factory; a storage unit with tall shelves filled with dusty boxes. The aisles face the wall separating the room from the direction of the rest of the factory. This wall has a shutter door allowing access from the other rooms in the factory. Unlike the one on the bridge to the factory, this one was off its track which had fallen off the wall on one side creating a triangular gap. This was the only ground access to the room. And the opposite wall, a row of tall windows revealing where the section of the factory they are in drops off to the river's rapids outside as they pass around the island the factory is on. There are catwalks far above them that can only be accessed by a switchback staircase stacked over by an office in the corner. The elevator cables that would carry supplies up to those catwalks can be seen over the wall in the room they just came from.

Ulrich runs circles around Grigory in the storage area. He runs up and down aisles, behind, in front, along the tops of the shelves, and straight up the sides, kicking up dust wherever he runs. As he's running along the top, he kicks out boxes to drop onto Grigory which he treats as an annoyance than anything else.

Ulrich slashes a shelf causing it to collapse on Grigory. Grigory avoids it by smashing through the cardboard boxes on the bottom and into the next aisle.]

Ulrich: Triplicaaaaaate!

As Ulrich attacks while Grigory is getting up, two clones split off from the after trail behind him. One clone aims for the rips, another sweeps low into the man's ankle, knocking him over. And while he's falling, Ulrich Prime hits him in the solar plexus with an elbow. Grigory flips over himself and finally slams on the ground without moving to get up.

Ulrich: [smiles] We're done here.

* * *

[_Real Life_ is dulled and plays softer in the background.]

[Aelita exits the elevator.]

Aelita: Damn it damn it damit!

Jeremie: Woah.

Aelita: WHY ARE YOU SO CALM? Now we can't deactivate the tower.

Jeremie: Aelita.

Aelita: [panicking] I couldn't do anything and now XANA's army is going to… going to kill-

Jeremie: Aelita!

Aelita: What?

Jeremie: The others can deactivate towers. You'll remember why after the RTTP.

Aelita: But I'm the only one with Code Lyoko. [worried] Right?

Jeremie: Interesting enough, I tried copying it when I was adding new equipment. It's one of those programs that the supercomputer doesn't allow to be copied. Will will [stutters over the alliteration] …William will find a way to pull through. We always do.

[Aelita sees the security footage of Ulrich and Grigory on one of the monitors.]

Aelita: Um, did I get hit harder than I thought or why does Ulrich have Lyoko powers in real life?

Jeremie: Oh, you like it? It's a little something I've been working on during the break. So, I figured out how to possess us to give us superpowers like the people XANA possesses-

Aelita: Remember that.

Jeremie: -and I figured out how to send our avatars to the real world as something similar to XANA's specters-

Aelita: Drawing a blank.

Jeremie: -But the possession was easily hacked and the specters only lasted 13 minutes even when we docked with a tower the entire time. So I made a few compromises for this and combined the two versions for this. [indicates the screen.] I temporary activated the tower and put the virtual energy into Ulrich's body giving him all of his virtual powers in the real world.  
He's invincible, as long as he has virtual energy left that is. The only drawback to this version is that he can't be teleported; not enough energy. So, he has to be materialized from the scanner. But if you do run out of energy in a fight…

Aelita: You're toast.

Jeremie: Essentially.

Aelita: But wait? If he has virtual energy like a XANA creature, doesn't that mean he has the weaknesses as well?

[_Real Life_ stops playing]

* * *

[Ulrich approaches Grigory.]

Ulrich: Okay, Einstein. Intruder subdued. What should I do with-

[Grigory reaches up and clamps onto Ulrich's leg. Electricity jumps from the glove and covers Ulrich's entire body. It pixelates and distorts while he convulses. He pulls out a second gun, a semi-auto pistol, and lays 6 shots into Ulrich. Each one causes a distortion effect where it hits.

Ulrich solidifies for a split second and…]

Ulrich: Super sprint!

[Grigory's 7th shot misses. Ulrich retreats from behind a shelf at the far end of the room.]

Jeremie: [comms] Ulrich, one more hit and you'll lose your powers.

[Grigory has run to the other end of the room where there's a door to the river outside. He slides in another cartridge as he runs. He tries the door but its locked. He immediately turns around and aims at the aisle he knows Ulrich is in.]

Ulrich: Hey a$$hole. I can hear you reloading. And I have one hit left in me. So, if you hit me before I reach you, you win. You better ask yourself a question. Do you feel lucky. Well do ya punk?

[Greek Fire turns back on at full blast for final chorus.]

{Can we live a real life; and know people outside machines?}

[Ulrich sprints toward Grigory.

BANG

Blocks one bullet.

BANG

Blocks a second.

BANG

Slides underneath a third.

Then sabers rocket into the man's gauntlet and his pistol destroying them both.

{"Can we live a real life…"}

Cut to each clone which has each thrown a saber as they jumped into the air.

Ulrich leaps up from his slide to kick Grigory into the air. The first clone knees him in the gut and the 2nd clone Lan Fa kicks Grigory in the face so hard he shatters the window as he flies into the river outside.]

{"…between the devil and the digital sea?"}

SPLASH

Ulrich: Guess it just wasn't your day. Have a nice swim!

[Ulrich's body flashes yellow and he's left in his normal clothes.]

Jeremie: [comms] You're out of energy. Where's your friend?

Ulrich: Eh, he flew off somewhere.

* * *

[Cut back to the gym where the monsters are marching into the gym, forcing the motley crew of students and teachers against a wall.]

Jim: [as lasers are flying by.] Reminds me of the time in Chernobl where [fires his nail gun] where I was trapped in a collapsing building with a hoard of rabid racoons streaming in from every direction.

Laura: Done! [threw her arms up as if finishing a test she eagerly wants to be graded on.]

[Laura had finished repurposing a couple of tarantula's arms, a blox's laser, and two creeper heads into laser guns. Students use them to fire back at the monsters. Jim and Odd join in the volley with nail gun and arrows respectively.

Laura finishes another weapon.

And another.

And another.

With every weapon whose lasers where turned back on the robots, the fight gets a little more even.

Pretty soon, the lasers fried from one side are answered by an equal number by the other.

And then the students stop firing. ]

Odd: Keep firing!

Laura: They're out of energy.

[There a barely any monsters left. Two tarantulas, two hornets, a couple creepers, and a couple kankrelots.

But enough to be a threat.

Odd looks around to see that everyone else but him and Jim had fallen due to being hit by at least one laser. Jim was trying to make the nail gun work, but it had either jammed or run out of ammo.

And all the monsters were eyeing Odd.]

Odd: [smirks] It's just another day. Nobody can seem to get enough of me. [shakily nocks his last arrow]

* * *

[The monsters have surrounded William and are about to fire. He holds out his hand for his sword.]

William: Come on.

[But his gaze is being drawn to something to the side. It's the smoke, the black particles, from the destroyed creepers. It flickered when he put out his hand. He turns his hand toward it. The smoke is sucked toward him and is absorbed into his black suit.

The monsters fire. William fires his hand toward the ground and black smoke explodes from it. The lasers are swallowed up by the smoke. The creepers look unsure of what happened.

Within the cloud, William jerks his hand up. The zweihander zooms up from over the edge, its root covered hilt glowing orange, and plunges into the smoke. Cut to him reaching out within the dark cloud.]

William: [impressed] Woah.

[He slashes the smoke screen apart, the tip just barely scratching the nearest creeper, but it still completely destroyed its head.]

William: XANA! Feel the wrath of a pissed off teenager with a jailbroken avatar.

[He slashes the monsters apart, dashes using super smoke in between their attacks.

William does a continuous combo from monster to monster. He uses smoke powers like smoke screen and levitation in tandem with his sword, lifting up a creeper then slashing it apart. He throws the blade through the remaining manta and pulls it back to him, slicing another creeper on the way, just in time to block a laser. He absorbs smoke from the monsters he defeats. He keeps using super smoke to dash closer and closer to the tower until he outmaneuvers the last monsters and glides into the air…

Right into the tower. He solidifies inside the tower.]

William: Hmm, so this is what it's like.

* * *

[in the gym, the students are about to be over run.]

* * *

[William even super smokes up through the tower's 2nd level to make it go faster.

He touches the screen.]

* * *

[Sissi is guarding another student from a hornet's stinger.]

* * *

Text appears.

"William"

It's replaced by

"Cancel activation."

* * *

[All the robots collapse.]

Odd: Look at them. Their batteries are dead. An entire army and nobody brought a charger.

* * *

Jeremie: Return to the Past-

Aelita: [snaps her fingers] Now.

[Jeremie hits enter. Cut to white]

* * *

[Fade in to the Rec room on Kadic campus. There's a foosball table over by the far wall by the arch windows and a ping pong table and computer by the far door. On the left of the main door, there's a refrigerator and bookshelf. Lastly, posters and whiteboard are on the walls.

Jeremie, Aelita, and Odd are on the couch. It faced the TV and both are positioned behind a shelf to the right of the door. William and Yumi are on the other two cushion seats in the room that they dragged over for their meeting.]

William: Maybe I should be in charge of deactivating towers now. I am the one who can turn into an untouchable cloud of smoke.

Aelita: [frowns. Harsh tone.] Almost untouchable. Let's stick with the usual for now.

[Awkward silence.]

William: …So, I found out I'm basically Delsin Rowe.

Jeremie: Makes sense we would have never known about it. XANA possession gave you infinite access to virtual energy. He hacked your avatar to give you all kinds of advantages until we freed you. Negating the cost of your super smoke abilities appears to be one of them.

Odd: Yeah, about XANA. WHY did it COMPLETELY change its tactics? AGAIN.

Yumi: The monsters didn't care if they were attacking me or anyone else. And the guy Graven called _Grigory_ went after Ulrich and Odd, but not me or Aelita. So, he's not after code bearers? …Why?!

William: I dunno.

Jeremie: Don't know.

Yumi: We'll find out somehow, right?

Aelita: Yeah. Probably.

[Ulrich arrives safely from the woods in the Rec Room.]

Ulrich: [panting] I think I … I just missed him.

[Ulrich drags over the chair from the computer desk and plops down, exhausted.]

Ulrich: Now that Lyoko is shut down again-

Jeremie: I didn't shut it down. We are not equipped to deal with this Grigory without ... without…Odd. Name it.

Odd: Uh uh pixelation.

Jeremie: And until we know what's up, no one goes anywhere alone.

Yumi: We still have another issue.

William: Graven.

Yumi: No, there's another scanner in the hermitage basement. [turns to Aelita] With a message from your father.

Aelita: [excited] Oh really, that's- oh. [dies a little inside.]

Jeremie: What?

Aelita: [sad] During the mission, I was thinking of how it would feel to finally rescue him and I just remembered that he isn't coming back.

Yumi: So, you remember everything? [Aelita nods]

Jeremie: What did Graven do?

Aelita: I don't think he had anything to do with it. He wasn't anywhere near me.

Yumi: If it was Graven, we can't let you go with him if he can erase minds.

Jeremie: We don't have to worry about him being around. I've thought about it for 5 seconds and came up with something.

Odd: [counts on his fingers] Voice synthesizer, you whip up some new "undiscovered documents" and a call from my "parents".

Jeremie: Basically.

Ulrich: What's the plan for Grigory? Please tell me I get super sprint again and can rush him.

Jeremie: I came up with a plan to capture him. Come on. I want to check out that scanner Yumi found.

William: But you just said-

Jeremie: [smirks] Oh. They're connected.

Yumi: I've got nothing better to do.

Odd: I said I would meet with Sam, but exploring a creepy house sounds fun.

[They all move to the door to leave. Hiroki approaches them at the door]

Hiroki: [impatient] There you guys are. Ready for the competition to begin?

William: Later Hiroki. Something came up.

Ulrich: [explains] Higher priorities.

William: But we will settle this later.

[Ulrich nods.

As they are walking across the courtyard, Aelita signals to Yumi to hang back. Yumi slows her pace so she and Yumi are in the back of the group.]

Yumi: Yeah?

Aelita: I need something.

Yumi: Sure. Anything.

Aelita: I need you to train me. Today was the last straw. It happened before with other attacks. If I'm not going to be the "princess" anymore, I need to be able to keep up with the rest of you. Otherwise I'm just holding you all back.

* * *

[Laura is walking in the dorm. She reaches for the door handle, but then she clutches her head. She brushes off whatever her pain is. She opens her door.

Diva is laying on her bed with a laptop on her legs. Laura ignores her and sits down at her desk.

There are a couple seconds of them just not acknowledging each other.

[beat]

Diva: [suddenly] BTW, some guy in a suit is at the school.

Laura: [doesn't care] Oh.

Diva: He was from that place you had that interview with. Uh, uh, Deckard Inc.

Laura: [immediately interested] Really, where is he?

Diva: He wanted to talk with pixie hair girl. Uh phphph [exhales trying to think] Aelita right? Delmas's office.

[Laura gets up to leave. Diva starts to get up.

Diva: [passive aggressive] Okay, let's go now.

Laura: You don't have to come.

Diva: Do you know what he looks like?

Laura: [submits] Fine.

Diva: Let's go Roomie.

* * *

[Cut to the hermitage, looking at the same sign on the decrepit, ivy covered fence that Grigory was looking at.

There is a pan across all 6 of them staring at the hermitage. Aelita is in the front as if holding them back.]

Jeremie: [to Aelita] Are you ready? [reaches out and holds her hand]

Aelita: No. [takes her hand out of his] But let's do this anyway.

[She steps across the threshold.]

Episode 17 end.

**AFTERWORD**

For those of you that have questions about William's ability, I named his blade energy wave beam (as it has not been named in canon) Heaven Piercer

It's been canon since Triple Trouble that abilities are voice activated. That's why they say them. Also, it's been canon since "Nobody in particular" that XANA's avatars cannot break this rule. William always using super smoke by saying "super smoke" confirms this.

I have fleshed out the mechanics of Lyoko. If you get hit in the head if you are a human player or doubleganger, it's a one hit kill. Everything else reduces Life Points or is specific to the weapon. Such as when Ulrich bisects or stabs through someone with his saber, it's a one hit kill.

Also, I didn't like how William was spamming his Heaven Piercer in "Final Round" but has only done it once per episode in evolution. It didn't make sense, so I added the "avatars always start with enough virtual energy to use their ability once" rule and the "avatars can regain virtual energy" if they block attacks.

You know what? It's long to type virtual energy. I'll just call it VEN.

When they block, they absorb the attack through the weapon and its damage is turned into VEN.

Also, I made William more like a conduit from the infamous series as his smoke abilities are overpowered if he can use them at will and it would add a lot of unnecessary "well why didn't he do this" moments later in the story. But rather than omitting them entirely, I had the idea he absorbs the black particles (virtual smoke) introduced in evolution after he defeats a monster. This allows him room for growing his abilities without making him OP.

Also, this gives a bit of flavor to XANA possession as it explains XANA is basically jailbreaking an avatar, so they have infinite VEN to use on abilities. This makes XANA possessed avatars more powerful by default rather than just giving them a new OP ability and has different implications based on who is possessed.


	17. EP 18: Backup and Restore A

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

Episode 18: Let'5 Pl4y: -up_&_R3st0re (Let's Play: Backup and Restore)

[Laura and Diva are passing through the covered portico to the admin building, mid conversation.]

Laura: I'm getting into that school.

Diva: Sure. One question. How are you going to impress them? If you didn't get in before what's going to change their mind now?

Laura: I don't need anything to change. I obviously misjudged the nature of the person I called. If I can gain the respect of this rep, I can work my way in.

Diva: Your perpetual impudence may be vexing to him.

Laura: I'm not disrespectful.

Diva: [genuine surprise] You can understand me?!

Laura: Yeah, do you like to use big words to make yourself seem more intelligent?

Diva: Usually when I use big words, they go straight over people's heads and I can get away with calling them whatever I like.

[Laura smirks a little at that.]

Diva: Just remember he's part of a corporate machine. If you aren't useful to his company, he won't give you a second chance.

[They arrive in the lobby. It has benches for visitors in the center separated from the hallway to the main offices by an arcade of Corinthian columns.]

* * *

[cut to Delmas's office.]

Graven: I knew she was faking. I must speak with her at once.

Delmas: I can understand how it can be seen that way, but it could be that she has wandered off. I will ask around. [notices his daughter standing in his office door.] Elizabeth, thank you for coming. Would you happen to know where Mrs. Stone is?

Sissi: …

Delmas: Sissi.

Sissi: [reverses her demeanor at being called her nickname] Mrs. Einstein went off campus with her usual gang.

Delmas: [explains to Graven] That would be Belpois, Della Robbia, Stern-

Graven: I know. [he exits the principals' office. Then as an aside as he exits into the lobby.] I just need Aelita Sche-Stone.

[Laura turns her head at the mention of Aelita and sees Graven.]

Diva: That's-

Laura: Obviously him in the suit. Why did I think I needed your help?

[Laura walks up to graven.]

Laura: [clears her throat] Mmmm, Mr. Graven was it?

Graven: Yes.

Laura: My name is Laura Gauither. I'm an upcoming junior. I'm interested in the field in quantum computing.

Graven: No, we do not have any positions for internships. We do not accept transfers and we don't make any exceptions under any circumstances unless they have a prearranged interview. There is nothing to be gained by further conversation. Goodbye.

Laura: Well, that's fortunate for me as I already spoke with Lowel Tyron.

Graven: [stops dead in his tracks. Brief moment of surprise.] And what did he say?

Laura: [lies with a smile] That opportunities would arise given an appraisal from representatives that would have planned visits

Graven: If you want to get my recommendation, you would do well to not lie to my face. This is not a planned visit and I very much doubt that my company would ever have connections with a such low class school.

[Delmas can be seen in the background looking offended. Graven turns around to leave.

Laura: [to Graven's back as she tries to get him to stay.] We never finished my interview. He had to attend to a project.

Graven: [turns around.] More believable, but honestly, I can say with utter certainty that he wanted nothing to do with you. He probably ended the meeting because you showed him all he needed to see.

Laura: And why is Aelita so important? It's not her mother. I didn't drop Aelita's name once during the interview, but as soon as I said Jeremie, he immediately lost interest.

Graven: Oh, so you were the tip. And how did-

Before Graven can finish, a sound rings out from outside in the woods.

BANG.

Delmas: Everyone get inside. Nicole, make an announcement for an evacuation drill.

[Graven instead calmly walks outside toward the forest. Laura follows him. Diva follows her. And Sissi follows them much to her father's dismay.]

Diva: [To sissi] Why are you following us?

Laura: [to diva] Why are you following me?

Diva: Sissi first.

Sissi: [to Laura] Why are you going into a woods with guns firing?

[Everyone is too stubborn to answer first. Diva breaks the silence.]

Diva: I need you alive. [to Laura]

Laura: You sure? Free tuition for the rest of school if your roommate dies.

Diva: I need an excuse to not want anyone to die?

Sissi: And I just want to make sure my friends are safe.

Laura: Wait, I thought you hated Jeremie's gang.

Diva: [to no one in particular] I love that everyone just calls them "Jeremie's gang" when he doesn't do anything and treats them like dirt.

Sissi: It's a complicated relationship. Now you. [to Laura]

Laura: The only reason "The Suit" came to Kadic was because I called his company. And the only thing their boss wanted from me was seeing if Jeremie's gang was involved. That must mean Jeremie's gang is involved with Deckard Inc. Somehow.

Diva: You think you can use that as leverage?

Laura: I need to know more. But I need to find them first.

Sissi: I know where they are. I chipped Ulrich this morning when I apologized to him.

Laura: You chip your friends?

Sissi: Of course. How else will I know when they do something stupid.

Diva: [Cheshire cat grin] I like her. [Sissi glares at Diva in response.]

[Opening Theme plays]

* * *

[As they step onto the porch, Aelita has a flashback. The world turns monochrome.

_Flashback_

_[She's walking in the front door, she can hear piano music.]_

_Aelita: Daddy, [the music cuts off and he turns to her.] I'm going up to my room. [The music resumes as she ascends the stairs to the second floor.]_

_[She's playing in her room when she heard the car screech up.]_

_BANG_

_[The string of notes was severed by a gunshot.]_

_Lone Elite: Alright Waldo, come out of there!_

_Aelita: Daddy. [he rushes up to her door] The men in Black are here._

_Franz: I know. Do you remember where Mr. Puck is? [her vision pans over to the poster on her fall concealing the hole where the doll would be for the next 10 years._

_Aelita: Yes_

_Franz: Come quickly_

_End Flashback_

[The world flashes back to normal. Jeremie and Yumi are looking concerned at her. She waves them off.]

* * *

[Cut to them in the same refrigeration locker from before. The refrigerator room had no windows: it was a simple grey rectangle of thick walls, furnished with two rows of low shelves on each side. Set into the ceiling were the open ends of the conduits that led to the refrigerant motor that cooled the environment. Mounted on the walls were big hooks for hanging meat on, but they were now empty, apart from cobwebs and dust.

Odd is hugging himself as if he had frozen over in the short time they have been in there.]

Yumi: The monsters were doing home improvement last time, so there's no way in now.

[Jeremie whips out a tablet. He opens a file marked "Franz Hopper's Diary"]

Jeremie: Franz didn't mention this place at all, but there is an entry near the end that mentions instructions. I didn't understand it until now. Pull the third hook from the end on the left wall toward you.

[Ulrich steps onto the hook and hangs from the chain. They heard a loud clang, a soft click, & the hook dropped several centimeters. Aelita takes a look over Jeremie's shoulder at the directions.]

Aelita: Now on the right wall, push the fourth shelf from the top in.

[William elbows the wooden plank into the wall.]

Jeremie: Now let go of the hook.

[Ulrich drops to the ground, kicking up dust.

They heard a mechanical creaking. The wall at the opposite side of the door they entered from split down the pattern of the cracks in the plaster on the wall. The otherwise invisible seal was illuminated from the other side form a light turning on for the first time in ten years. William pushes the door fully open and they all stepped through.

Odd gasps as he sees the couch.]

Odd: Do you know what this means?

Jeremie: We'll finally get an answer on why the supercomputer was created?

Odd: We finally have a private place to hang out that isn't a cold, dusty, metal factory!

[Yumi walks over to the console. The others sit down on the couch. Aelita and Jeremie are in the couch cushions while Ulrich and William sit on opposite sides on the arms of the couch as there wasn't enough room. Odd refuses to sit normally and crouches on the back of the couch.

Aelita nods to Yumi. Yumi presses the screen and the TV automatically turns on. They hear a click, but the screen still appears black.]

Ulrich: It's broken.

Aelita: It's not broken, it's just warming up the cathode ray tubes.

[Ulrich, William, and Odd shiver in mock terror at the thought of a screen that doesn't boot up instantly.]

Odd: Crap. It takes DVDs.

Jeremie: [smiling] What were you expecting? This room was sealed before Blu-Rays were invented.

[Yumi turns up the volume and joins the others at the couch kneeling next to Ulrich on the floor.

Piano music began to play from the old TV's speakers. Scans of photos, yellowed with age were in paraded one at a time on the screen in time to the music.

A photo of a younger Franz and a woman

Aelita at what would be two or three years old, playing in the garden of a mountainside chalet, a tiny tricycle on its side in the tall grass. She was wearing a short flower pattern dress.

A picture of Franz and Anthea, Aelita's mother, when they were both younger. The date titles it as 1982**. **She was wearing an elegant evening dress and high heels; around her neck were a string of pearls that sparkled perfectly against her clear complexion and blond hair.

Then another photo of them, years later, but during project Carthage. They were both wearing white laboratory coats and standing against a grey concrete wall, giving away no details about the location. The professor had a wide smile, his rounded face hidden behind a thick, dark beard.

And then out of nowhere, Franz's voice.

"These are for you my treasure."

Around the dense lenses of his glasses, although they couldn't see his eyes themselves, it was plain that his eyelids were swollen with tiredness.

The slideshow of piano music and photos stopped and in their place Franz himself appeared. He was sitting on the same sofa the group was now sitting on, only he looked nervous sitting with his back straight and his hands laced together in his lap. He was dressed in the same outfit as he was in Aelita's visions.]

Franz: Now there are many reasons why I'm here, well I want to say… The reason why I'm making this, is because there was an attack. As a result Aelita, you lost your memory. So I recorded this. I have a plan to restore you to full health, but … complications might arise.

Jeremie: Like XANA stealing the backup of her memory from the scanners and using it as a shackle.

Franz: There were individuals belonging to a certain organization, the Division, that had tracked me down. While I would like to believe that it was just my time, I was betrayed by those I called my friends. Aelita, you and I will be safe on my own haven, Lyoko. The one thing I'm sure of is that I will keep you safe. And if everything goes alright, Steinback will return with Anthea and make the Division face justice. Our family will be reunited.

The only potential problem might be that XANA is having problems after… no I made sure nothing of the attack remained in the system. And there's no possibility of Steinback failing, isn't that right?

[He chuckles and looks at the couch. He evidently expected this "Steinback" to be one of the audience members.]

Franz: I have no way of knowing how much you know by this point, so I'll just start at the beginning. When you were born, I was still living under my real name. While my name now is Franz Hopper, I was originally Waldo Scheaffer.

From 1985 to 1991, Anthea and I were in change of research for Project Carthage. When we first started on the project, we believed we were creating a type of electronic communications network, something where everyone on earth could be connected and astounding scientific advances would be like taking a simple stroll down the street.

I thought we would be advancing the world on to a brighter future. I had given up everything for Project Carthage. I thought I was saving the world. And in the end everything about it betrayed me.

Just after we finished developing a computer that could allow communication across the globe. When we learned they were lying about what it would be used for, we wanted to leave immediately. "They" are _The Division_ or "The Men in Black".

It all started during the cold war. A military project was authorized to conduct research to develop a weapon that could utterly cripple the communication of all other nations on Earth. There wasn't much advancement and once the Cold war ended, the project quickly slipped into shadows of the federal government. But "The Division" managed to bring the project back under their leadership.

And when we tried to escape, your mother was kidnapped. The Division wasn't the only organization interested in this power. Just as we thought we had escaped one evil, she fell into another. Steinback wouldn't let this happen and spent every day and year after then looking for her.

You see, Anthea and I had decided to start over. To recreate our vision for the world, not a government, not a nation. I wasn't the only one. Others from the project disagreed with what they had been told. We worked together to create another computer. But then the MIB and the organization that took your mother invaded that lab. It became clear that our vision for the world wasn't in their best interest. Steinback and I barely escaped and we lost some friends in the process. You were put in danger. I would not allow that to happen again.

Aelita: Yes, but what organization? Who took my mother?

Franz: I was on my third and final chance. Here, in this city, I created Lyoko.

Odd: And here's where we entered…

Franz: The reasons why I built Lyoko are … layered. It's an end of a journey for me. And I'm only realizing that now. I wanted to connect the world, but I also wanted to prevent the power I created at Project Carthage to never be used for ill. And I succeeded in both.

Franz: Now, the obvious. If I'm able to come back here, Steinback succeeded. If so, I'll erase this. This knowledge and the pictures are for you because I'm not able to share them with you myself. The photos from the beginning are the only comfort I can offer to help you not feel alone.

[Jeremie turned to check on Aelita, but her eyes were transfixed on the screen.]

Franz: I do have three gifts for you. Two you should already have. The first is the Keys to Lyoko. I will allow you to use the supercomputer to its fullest extent. Connect the world or chain it down.

Aelita: And now XANA has it.

Franz: Second, I gave you something special to clean up any problems with the supercomputer. A reset button if you will. Code Lyoko. It grants the greatest ability allowed to humanity: to start over and try again. It will reset any system you input it in to a previous state. In case any of the software gets, infected persay.

Yumi: Infected. Definitely infected a lot.

Franz: Finally, something of your mother. In the cabinet in front of you...

[Aelita slowly stood up and knelt down on the carpet in front of the television. Franz was silent, allowing time for the action in whatever mental script he was following.

She opened dark oak door in the front of the cabinet. Just as Franz had said, there was a wooden box, able to just barely fit in her palm. She lifted the lid and extracted the pendant from its resting place.

It was the adornment on an almost thread like golden chain. The pendent was a little larger than a coin. It's surface was reflective like a mirror. Etched into the surface were two letters. W & A. The were placed above a sailor's knot decoration.

William: A knot?

Jeremie: A sailor's knot. It means no matter the force pulled on either side, the connection just gets tighter.

Aelita: Together, forever.

Odd: That's so romantic. I'm gonna cry.

[On the screen, Professor Hopper dried his eyes with a handkerchief. He had evidently teared up during the silence. His voice was shaking with emotion and anger.]

Franz: This is one of a pair that Anthea and I had made as marriage gifts. It sends a signal to the other pendant when one letter is pressed. It was how I knew she was alive all those years. No one knows they can operate like that except us.

[Aelita has a flashback to when Tyron showed her Anthea's necklace in Delmas's office. They were identical.]

Yumi: Didn't Tyron use the other to track us?

Aelita: He did, so the secret is out. And who knows for how long.

Franz: There is more I left with Steinback. Answers about your mother. Up to her discretion on when to share those with you. She's always there for you to turn to should you need help.

Aelita: Except she wasn't.

Franz: I don't imagine you could have found this place any other way without her help. At least not in your condition.

Franz: Now, Aelita, that is all I have. Steinback this part is just for you.

[The video pauses. They others look over to see William at the controls to the terminal.]

William: … So does anyone know who Steinback is?

Aelita: Nope.

Ulrich: Not a clue.

Jeremie: Not the faintest.

Odd: Something went wrong. Very wrong.

William: On same page then. [Hits resume on the video]

Franz: This scanner is set to take you directly to the mirror. I know I said this was just to reservoir of knowledge but I've turned it into more than that. It's isolated from Lyoko, impossible to erase, so I know it's safe from The Division. The information here is safe, even if they somehow destroyed Lyoko or its heart.

It also contains some projects I've been working on, but never implemented fully. I'm leaving this to you. I want you to review the map of our journey together. How I processed, see where I went wrong, the small moments I got right. The codes to open the mirror and the first section of the map are in my diary. You already know where to find the passwords for the others. [realization] Ah…I should mention that I hid my diary at the drop off. It has all my work inside. Aelita also has the means to find it.

Odd: Already found it.

Jeremie: And destroyed it accidentally.

William: What?!

Yumi: [non-chalant] Chill, we have copies.

Aelita: SHHH!

Franz: …after you've seen all of the mirror, I leave you with a choice to make. Destroy the supercomputers and everything beneath the factory so that no one else can use it for themselves. Or reveal it to everyone as a revolution, and connect the world together if that is what you believe is right. Or any other decision you deem fit. Use your judgement.

Innovation itself is not evil or dangerous. It's those who use it selfishly, The division and so many others… Everyone I've known thanks to this work has just been twisted and manipulated just to steal this power for themselves or for someone else.

I know, especially if you've seen the logs in my journal, that I must seem desperate. That it's an insane job. All I hope for is an end to this struggle. I know I'm passing on this mission to a worthy successor. [sighs and sits back. Then a thought occurs to him.] I have no idea who is watching this right now. [quietly chuckles to himself] Some random passerby could just happen to walk into an old collapsed house and watch this tired man in a dirty sweater stammer on about changing the world.

[He reaches forward to whatever recording device captured the video, but then stops.]

Franz: One last thing for Aelita. You are and always will be my treasure. If you excuse me, I'm so very tired. I'll join you on Lyoko now, so I can finally rest.

[the video cuts to black. Everyone just sits there for a moment.]

Jeremie: [jumps up] Who stays [gets up and gestures to the scanner] and who goes?

[Aelita automatically steps up to the scanner before anyone else and waits inside.]

Jeremie: Ah, are you sure? I mean the last time we discovered something about your past you-

Aelita: [passive sass] The last time, I didn't have context. Now we do. [somber] And you heard him. Once we explore all of this "mirror", we have a choice to make. [attaches a smile to her face.] Who's with me?

Odd: Geronimo

Jeremie: Ulrich?

Ulrich: [looking at Yumi and William.] Yeah. Sure.

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	18. EP 18: Backup and Restore B

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Cut to floating islands of mossy land. In every available space, trees grew infinitely upward into the sky. But their roots were just suspended in midair below the plateaus. What is different from the previous forest sector is the trees whose branches grow together to form walking paths above the plateaus. They could be seen every so often, in between and around the trees. There was no end to the forest in any direction, only larger trees and towers seen in the distance.]

Jeremie: Transfer Odd, Scanner Odd. Virtualization!

[Odd's purple cat avatar appears in midair and drops to the plateau below.]

Odd: YESSS. The trees!

[Starts climbing up the bark, then jumping off and swinging from branch to branch while firing laser arrows wildly.]

Jeremie: A backup of the forest! Franz must have made a replika for the framework of this "Mirror". Transfer Ulrich, Scanner Ulrich. Virtualization!

[Ulrich lands in a superhero landing pose on one knee.]

Odd: I've missed this place.

Ulrich: Are you a cat or a gorilla?

Odd: [while hanging from a branch upside down.] I can be both.

Jeremie: Transfer Aelita, Scanner Aelita. Virtualization!

[Aelita lands next to Ulrich.]

Aelita: Okay, let's go find the-

SYSTEM ALERT**  
**"Self_Actualization_ " is being run.  
Detecting compatible networks.**  
**"Self_Actualization_ " is being shared with compatible networks.

SYSTEM ALERT  
There are missing files in "Odd Della Robbia/abilities".  
Files have been restored.

[Aelita glows pink, Ulrich glows yellow, Odd glow purple. He's still hanging upside down from the tree, staring at the purple aura on his hands.

After the glow fades, Aelita has a 3rd wing sprouting from the small of her back. It softens and folds over her skirt, creating an pink curving pattern layered on top of the left side of her skirt. It's glowing pink.

A strand of Ulrich's headband extends out into a tail behind him. It's glowing yellow.

A purple triangular cat ear appears on the left side of Odd's blond hair. It has a translucent purple hue.]

Odd: NOOOOO! It's back.

Ulrich: Don't worry Odd, it's only one.

Odd: Then I look even more weird.

William: [comms] That is physically impossible.

[Purple aura briefly flashes around Odd's left eye.]

Odd: Woah.

Ulrich: You okay?

Odd: I have no idea.

Jeremie: Aelita can you get a visual of what is going on?

Aelita: [examining the addition to her avatar] Sure. It doesn't seem to be bad.

Jeremie: Maybe Franz has an explanation for us. The access point for the whatever Franz left is 900 meters to your-

[The screen in front of him immediately blips out of existence. The bulb above them lighting the room blips out of power too.]

* * *

Yumi: Jeremie, what's going on?

Jeremie: I have no idea. The power to the entire house went off. I can't communicate with them at all. If they get devirtualized, they they-

William: They what?

Jeremie: Look, I have no idea. This is technically part of Lyoko, but at the same time, it's a purposely separate sandbox world. They could be lost forever if we don't have a working scanner for them.

William: So, will they be okay?

Jeremie: If we get the power back, we won't have to answer that.

[William, Yumi, and Jeremie run out of the room.]

* * *

Aelita: Jeremie, what was that? [no answer]

Odd: Maybe he forgot to pay the electric bill.

Ulrich: What do we do now?

Aelita: He's probably working on it. Nothing to do until he gets back. [Odd continues to swing around. She notices Ulrich staring off into space] You good?

Ulrich: Ah… yeah.

Aelita: Why did you want to come here? Odd I get. [Odd is swinging from trees in the background.] Buuuuut...

Ulrich: I just lost a year.

Aelita: So, did I.

Ulrich: Yeah but. Everything changed for you. Nothing changed for me. [Aelita waits for an explanation.] Nevermind. Let's just wait until Jeremie fixes the power.

[More awkward silence as teenagers refuse to be open with their feelings.]

Aelita: Since we have some time, could you teach me some moves. I wanted to learn martial arts from Yumi but since we're already here…

Ulrich: [glad to be doing something he's good at] Ah sure!

[Aelita uses her creativity to create a wooden dummy of Ulrich. Ulrich demonstrates some kicks on it.]

Ulrich: This is a hook kick. You rotate at the waist, use your core to pull your leg and then hit it like a whip with your heel. Now you try.

[She spectacularly fails.]

Ulrich: Okay okay. Now, try not sucking at it.

[Aelita fails again.]

Ulrich: [serious] Maybe you should take it one step at a time.

[She gets it halfway right.]

Ulrich: Good.

[Annnnd she fails again.]

Ulrich: That was … that.

Aelita: [frustrated] Maybe it would help if you talked about strategy. Or the mindset of fighting.

Ulrich: Give me a scenario.

Aelita: What's your plan for fighting William.

Ulrich: I don't have a plan, I'm going to beat him…How do you know about that?

Aelita: [thinks] _Quick, use techno babble to confuse him._[speaks] Oh I absorbed some of your neural circuits from the down wave of the Return to the past since I was in the middle of a restoration process that was never completed.

Ulrich: ...That makes sense. [thinks] _What the h3ll did she just say?_

[She tries, and fails, again.]

Ulrich: That's it. We're done.

H[e tries to pull her away from the dummy, but she shrugs him off.]

Ulrich: Why is this such a big deal?

Aelita: I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE WEAK LINK!

Ulrich: [switches from teacher to comforting] Aelita, you're not weak.

Aelita: [frantic] Now that everyone can deactivate towers, I'm not special anymore. And when I'm fighting on my own, I suck.

Ulrich: Your energy fields are OP. You can't be that bad.

Aelita: [desperate to be heard] In the last few months, I've been taken out four times before I could get off an attack, two times you've had to come and rescue me, and just last mission I got taken out by a creeper's-

Ulrich: Laser? They take out 40 LP. You get hit a couple times by surprise and you're done.

Aelita: Tail swipe.

Ulrich: [surprise] Oof.

Aelita: Yeah, that bad. So I need to learn this. [takes her stance again.] Why [tries to kick again] did you say nothing had changed?

Ulrich: Things are still the same for me as they were when we brought William back. Yumi and I are great one day, we hate each other the next, and by that after noon I think we could… I dunno. And now with William in the group, I feel like I wasted a year and I'm in deeper trouble than before he came back. So I … hit first.

Aelita: You just want this to be all over with. If you know this is going to be a happily ever after…

Ulrich: Then why do I have to go through all this trouble.

Aelita: Exactly. [She smashes the target's head off. The dummy shatters into pixels.]

[She smiles. Ulrich gives her a thumbs up.]

Ulrich: I'll help you with martial arts. It's the only thing I'm good at, so why not?

Aelita: And I'll help you figure out your love triangle situation. Dealeo?

Ulrich: Never say that again and yes. [shakes hands.] Though while he can't hear us, you really don't know what a normal relationship is.

Aelita: Yes, I do!

Ulrich: Half of it was through a computer screen and the other half is you trying to drag him away from a computer screen.

Aelita: You you you-

Ulrich: AH you can't deny it.

[Aelita playfully throws an energy field at him. He dodges.]

Ulrich: Ey! I'll take it back if you can hit me.

Aelita: No super sprint.

Ulrich: No energy fields or shields.

Aelita and Ulrich: Fine!

[They each take up a martial arts stance. Just as they are about to begin…]

Odd: I found it!

[They each turn to the sound of Odd's voice.]

Ulrich: Super sprint.

[Aelita's hits her bracelet and her 3rd wing unfolds as the original two appear. They fly and super sprint to where Odd was shouting.]

* * *

[They exit out of the Hermitage from the door leading from the basement to the side of the house. Next to them is a door they've used before that leads to the sewers. The back of the house is more elevated than the front. So they had to climb around the hill that formed the top of the door to the sewers. The breaker box is on the back of the house. They see the damage. There is burn marks around wires and some of the breakers have been ripped out.

Jeremie: Sabotage.

Yumi: You think you can fix it?

Jeremie: Yeah, I just have to cannibalize what's left intact. Just keep watch in case he comes back.

[Yumi and William guard him. They take up a position facing out into the backyard with their backs to Jeremie and the wall, leaving no blind spots.]

Yumi: Does this mess up our plan?

Jeremie: No, we don't have to RTTP for this.

William: So, who do you think he works for?

Yumi: Tyron. It only makes sense. He's the only one who knows about us.

William: He sent Graven.

Yumi: Distraction for Grigory. And Ulrich and Aelita both lost their memories. It has to be the same tech.

William: I don't think a businessman would get a hitman involved.

Yumi: I wouldn't put it past a man like that.

William: Why.

Jeremie: [while still working] What did he do?

Yumi: [sighs] Fine. When you guys were infecting the Cortex, he was willing to kill all of you just to prevent the virus from transferring. And [says with loathing] _Tyron_ help me hostage so I couldn't interfere.

William: Why didn't you tell us he did something like that.

Jeremie: She told me. And, smart decision, but…

Yumi: I didn't want to worry anyone else. If I can keep the rest of you happy with finals coming up, great.

William: You know I don't care about those.

Yumi: Don't you want to finish strong?

William: Nope. I'm deterring and going backpacking around Europe. Getting to understand myself.

[Yumi raises an eyebrow in suspicion]

Yumi: You already know yourself. You just hate school.

William: No, I don't. I messed up. And not just with XANA. It wasn't the first time I messed up royally because I was overconfident.

Yumi: What do you mean?

* * *

[Ulrich and Aelita arrive at the giant redwood tree with the same black biomass the towers have around its base.]

Ulrich: How do we access the memory?

Aelita: It looks like a tower, so I guess we just…step in?

[Aelita's elf ears twitch. She hears the sound of fleat footsteps behind them.]

Aelita: Behind!

[Ulrich blocks a kick with the flat of his blade and reposts, forcing their attacker to super sprint back a few meters.

He has Ulrich's face, but with long brown hair in a warrior's wolf tail. After the knot, the hair gradually turned from brown to burnt orange at the end of the tail. Instead of Ulrich's yellow skin suit, this avatar dresses in an orange gi with a black liner.

His arms couldn't be more polar opposite. His right has completely unarmored and the skin was showing from hand to shoulder seem where the sleeve seemed to have been shorn clean off. The exception was a small bracer, the same type Ulrich wore, except negative colored orange to Ulrich's yellow. But his left was heavily armored from the metal shoulder pad down and ended in a thick gauntlet that attached itself to the back of his gi, pinning his left arm to the small of his small of his back.

Beneath that, he was equipped with a quickdraw rifle scabbard complete with trigger to fire the blade out. The scabbard was currently flat against his tailbone allowing for easy maneuverability. From the loose flaps of his gi emerged baggy pant legs that tapered off into the tops of his boots. Those were tall with thick tongues and cuffs.

Odd: XANA this is a private server. I need to see your invite.

[Ulrich prepares to engage the threat.]

Aelita: Something is off.

Ulrich: What? It's a doppelganger monsters. Easy.

Aelita: No, if it was a doppelganger, it would be identical. And the scanners went offline so there's no way XANA could have sent a polymorphic specter.

Ulrich: Whatever it is, I'll fight. You guys find whatever Franz left in here.

Aelita: Don't let it hurt the tree. [She enters the tower.]

Odd: [as he enters the tree tower] Have fun playing with yourself!

[Both Ulrich and the Ulrich-like avatar flip Odd off.

Ulrich and the new avatar start to right. Ulrich use series of slashes forcing the orange clone to dodge back from each one. He turns and runs away. Ulrich pursues.]

* * *

[Cut back to outside the house.]

William: [hides it] I just, just mean I've been making mistakes, getting into ambushes on Lyoko. So, I'm trying to reevaluate myself. It's nothing really. …What about you? You want to come with me. It would be fun just exploring places we've never been.

Yumi: [Very clearly seeing he's hiding something but drops it.] My parents want me to attend college. No question about it.

William: Ahuh. And what do you want?

Yumi: I haven't decided on anything yet.

William: Okay, I'll rephrase. What sounds more fun? College or exploring for a year?

Yumi: …

William: You know you're going to have to take a risk one of these days?

Jeremie: You know, most people use high school as a way to experiment. Try new sports, learn an instrument, get it relationships. Wait. Have you even been in a relationship yet?

Yumi: [turns to face Jeremie] I don't need to tell you that. Besides it's too late to start anything now. It's almost graduation and anything I would start I would-

[William sees her go wide eyed. Then he feels something on the back of his head.

Yumi kicks away Grigory's hand before he can get a grip. He raises his other arm as Yumi sweeps away the clawed arm.]

BANG

[Yumi jerks to the side, a hole in her jacket. Grigory shoves her aside against the house and goes for Jeremie with the claw on his other arm outstretched. Jeremie throws a piece of metal at some exposed wires on the breaker box and sparks blind Grigory.

All the time Yumi needed. The end of her emerald staff slams into his rib cage. He stumbles back.]

Grigory: [amazed] Well this is the strangest thing I've seen today.

[Yumi is in her Lyoko avatar form. She has her black jacket on over her dark violet gi and is looking quite badass.

He panics and reaches into his jacket…

…only to find nothing there.

Instead, his grenades, desert eagle, and knife are floating in from of Yumi, surrounded by an orange glow.]

Yumi: [Japanese] You're challenging teenagers with super powers. You understand what that means right? You're going to lose [smirks and poses for dramatic effect] ... well everything.

[Grigory raises his pistol. Yumi throws her fans. They both hit him dead center and he goes flying over the edge of the sewer stairway without being able to fire a shot.

All three of them run over to the edge, but Grigory is nowhere to be seen.]

William: Where did he go?

Yumi: I don't know. Both doors are closed. And [she reaches up and touches her forehead]… I don't sense anything moving.

[She deactivates the pixelated mode. The floating weapons drop to the ground as her body returns to her normal outfit.]

She checks her smart watch. It reads:

Codes: 4%  
pixilation: 10 min

Jeremie: I'm almost done with the breaker. You need to find and capture him or today will be waste. We'll have to RTTP and try again. He won't believe we were this careless to wander out into the open again.

[William and Yumi run out to the front yard of the Hermitage. They whirl around searching frantically. No one is there.]

Graven: I've been looking for you.

[They turn to see Graven in the Hermitage doorway.]

* * *

[Odd and Aelita appear to be back in real life, but in their avatar forms. They are in a blizzard. Aelita is hovering on her wings and Odd is on his overboard. They are circling above an isolated property with a military base on top of a flat top mountain buried in a forest of birch trees as white as the snow that buried them and everything else atop that mountain.

The military base itself had stonewalls topped with barbed wire and searchlights flickering across the grounds. Inside the compound, every square foot was equipped with attack dogs, helicopters, sirens, and army members with guns. The view from atop the walls, only allowed a view of the birch trees covered with snow that went on past the horizon.

A waypoint appears. And it was moving. They drop down into the base. In the main courtyard, they find the marker above an older Swedish man with white frizzy hair and a short grey beard. He had a sharp nose and long jaw that looked like it was good for talking. He has the badge "Nickolas Erikson", pinned to his chest that labeled him as "Project Carthage Lead".]

Odd: Hello, can you-

[He walks through Odd and his overboard, flickering as he does.]

Odd: Hey watch the paint.

[The officer doesn't respond. Everyone ignores them like they are invisible.]

Aelita: It's a memory. We can't change events no matter what we do.

Odd: Ah, it's like RPG dialogue trees.

[Erikson was making haste over to the door. It was almost like a bunker door with the building slopped into the ground. They follow him through the door, through the military base's walls and cold hallways. They arrive at a laboratory. The workspace was a huge deserted laboratory without any windows. It was cluttered with metal tables, machines, big microscopes and computers, but no chairs. And a series of harsh neon lights illuminated the room.]

?: Ah, sir you're here already.

Erikson: Yes Waldo, I am here. At the time and place I said I would be when I gave you that deadline. Now what's this about an additional "Four architects" to add to your team?

[Aelita sees the man Erikson is speaking to and goes pale. She watches as her father stumbles up to his superior.]

Waldo: You said I could use any amount of resources to reach a solution as long as it went through you first.

Erikson: Yes and have you?

Anthea: Yes. Yes we have. We'll be ready to display the communication network tomorrow.

Erikson: That's good to hear…if it's true.

[He turns to leave with a stiff face. As he exits, the door to the labs opens. The waypoint appears in the door frame. Aelita and Odd shrug at each other and exit through the door.]

* * *

[Yumi immediately pivots to run away.]

Graven: If you leave now, I'll report that you assaulted me. You know your principal will believe me over you.

[Yumi's hand warps slightly.]

William: [whispers] No. If you use powers to get rid of him, we'll have to RTTP.

[Yumi growls. Checks her watch again.]

Codes: 4%  
pixilation: 9 min

Graven: I came looking for Mrs. Scheaffer. I know she's around here somewhere. [He glances backward at the stairway to the basement.]

William: [sharply inhales] We left the secret entrance open didn't we.

Yumi: …we are the worst.

Graven: You have 10 seconds to tell me where Mrs. Schaeffer is, or I'll find her myself and report you anyway. [he takes a step toward the stairs]

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	19. EP 18: Backup and Restore C

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

Jeremie: So, you can erase her memory?!

[All three turn to Jeremie who has appeared from the side of the house where Yumi and William just came from. Graven's full attention is on Jeremie. Graven walks out of the house toward Jeremie, away from the stairs to the basement.]

Graven: What are you talking about? That was your excuse.

Jeremie: It's the truth, but if you didn't do it, you're never going to believe me. It doesn't matter though. Aelita can't come right now. So, give your terms to me. Now.

* * *

[The girls are watching Graven and LW. From the brushes outside the Hermitage.]

Sissi: What is this place?

Laura: Yumi, William, and Jeremie are there, but I don't see Aelita at all.

[They overhear Graven give the blackmail about giving Deckard the Lyoko Supercomputer.]

Graven: [far away] … give me the location of the Lyoko supercomputer and we will preserve her identity.

Sissi: I've heard Odd and Ulrich talk about 'Lyoko' before. What is it?

Laura: I think it's a quantum supercomputer. Why do they have a quantum supercomputer?

Diva: [surprised. Fast talk] Why do you say quantum? He didn't say that?

Laura: I dunno. [clutches her head] It sounds…right.

Diva: Let's just wait and see what happens. If it's a backdoor deal, then you might be able to learn something that could make you worthy.

Laura: Hmm, that's actually a clever plan.

Sissi: [grumpy] Exciting things always seem to happen around those guys. You ever feel like a back seat driver in life. Like you have no control and are just taken for the ride by other people that get to make all the choices. Like, like…

Diva: Like you're a secondary character and you only matter when the main characters happen to be around you.

Sissi: [excited] OMG someone finally put it into words. Yes, that's exactly it!

Laura: Sshhhh. And no, I'm pretty in control of my own life.

* * *

Graven: If you turn over the location of your supercomputer, we are willing to allow a meeting between Aelita and her mother. We don't have a reason to deny you after we get what we want. It's just good business.

[Yumi checks her watch.]

Codes remaining 4%  
Pixelation: 2 min

Yumi: We don't have time for this. We're in danger here.

Graven: From what?

Yumi: From… [can't think of an excuse]

Jeremie: XANA.

Graven: I already heard all about XANA from her. She had no proof it held any threat beside wild accusations.

Yumi: You don't have any proof because we're doing our jobs correctly. We've stopped every one of its attacks.

Graven: How convenient for you. You're so proficient that there's no proof of its existence. Now you're all coming with me. You know something about the gunshot. It's for your… safety.

William: Oh drop it already. There's nothing legitimate about you, Tyron or Deckard Inc. The deal is a farce. You'll take what you need and you don't care what you leave behind. We already know Deckard sent Grigory after us and you both tried to get our supercomputer's location with that weird memory gauntlet.

Graven: [voice catches in his throat. Stutters] -he. How do you, never, I DID NO SUCH THING!

Yumi: Well that's convenient for you. There's no proof that you did or-

[notices a flashing on her watch.]

Codes remaining 4%  
Pixelation: 0 min

William: Well so much for dog man.

Graven: Dog? He really is here?

Jeremie: [sarcastic] That's just great. [normal] But the others could be devirtualized any minute. [He starts to take off back the way he came.]

Graven: Don't move!

[Now he has a gun out. And is pointing it at them.]

* * *

[Cut back to the forest sector backup. Ulrich and his orange colored copy are super sprinting through forest of wooden spires using the wooden paths made by the branches to try to gain a height advantage on one another. They're running up collapsed trees and jumping from branch to branch. Ulrich is trying to cut, jump and slash the double. In midair, Orange twists to avoid a thrust, grabs Ulrich's hand, and kicks back at him knocking him to the forest floor below, the force twisting the hilt of Ulrich's saber out of his hand and into the double's. Ulrich loses his other saber in the fall.

Orange jumps down to and dashes at Ulrich for the finishing stab. Everything slows down. Ulrich catches the blade between his hands and yanks it out of the double's hands

Or at least he would if a blade didn't stab through Orange and into Ulrich's side, stopping the motion.]

Ulrich  
LP 100 - 90

[The Orange clone shatters revealing the original behind it.]

Orange: Why are you surprised? Jeremie even said that XANA never makes the same mistake twice.

Ulrich: Twice, when did I… the time we activated a tower to decrypt Franz's diary?

Orange: And the time your mind and body became decoupled. Since I already had the practice of copying your fighting from then, I was the most efficient asset for the job.

Ulrich: You talk like you're not XANA.

[Orange doesn't answer him. He just smiles.]

Orange: The only thing you will ever hear from me is exactly what I want you to know and nothing else.

Ulrich: You know, for an evil version of myself, you're not pissing me off as much as I thought you would.

Orange: Well, I'm not exactly you. I am a collection of your memories, but I'm designed to specifically fight you. And of course it helps that the memories are from when you were seething with frustration and rage at anyone who could get between you and Yumi.

Ulrich: [pissed off] SUPER SPRINT! [He snatches up his dropped saber]

[Ulrich stabs at Orange. Orange parries it and brushes Ulrich past him, making him trip over himself into the ground.]

Ulrich: What do you know about me?

Orange: [gestures to his own face] Are you serious? I know that you hate yourself for never having the resolve to ask Yumi out when the supercomputers were shut down. And when you finally did, William got in the way. Like he always does.

[Ulrich attacks Orange, but he dodges again with barely any effort.]

Orange: I know that the only thing that makes you feel real is slicing through monsters in the virtual world. That why you challenged him instead of talking it out. [dodges Ulrich] You never change. You never learn. You think if you beat the monster, quote some dumb movie line, and look awesome, that will solve all your problems.

[Ulrich launches a quick series of slashes that Orange parries without even looking. Then when Ulrich tries a desperate lunge attack, Orange punishes him with a backhanded slice that knocks Ulrich down and on the ground.]

Ulrich  
LP 90 - 80

Orange: You know what you're like? You're like, like… [realization with a sly smile] Kirito. From that anime everyone loves to hate.

Ulrich: I am NOTHING like him.

Orange: Arrogant, dual wielding swords, 1v1 bosses, attracting every girl within a 30-meter radius, hot Asian girlfriend-

BOOOM

[Orange blocks Ulrich's sonic boom level super sprint attack…

…with a "meh" face.]

Orange: Am I more or less EXACTLY ON POINT?! By the way, you're also dumb. You forgot about the second clone.

[The second clone drops down behind Ulrich and strikes. Ulrich deflects that one by turning around and parrying its blade to the side, but Orange kicks him in the back and he goes flying over the edge to another plateau below.

Orange and his clone super sprint away.]

Ulrich: OWWW. … [realization] The tree! Super sprint.

[Aelita and Odd walk through the door they had just exited. They both do a double take in confusion. The room had changed. Now it was a scene of Aelita's parent's working with several other researchers in the same lab as before.]

Odd: Didn't we just leave-

Waldo: Will the CRT be ready?

Anthea: I don't know if we can generate a proper visualization. The principal behind it is sound, but that's not going to convince them. What's the point of a visualization if we can't prove it exists?

?: Excuse me, could I have a word Waldo?

Waldo: Absolutely. Anything for a friend.

Odd: Who is she talking to?

Aelita: Its's WAIT? Is that?

[They see the man talking to Waldo has a familiar puff of impish hair.]

Tyron: I was wrong. I apologize. Me and everyone else were wrong to question you about the visualization method. If it's the only way to control energy wavelengths-

Waldo: To establish communication lines.

Tyron: Y-yes oh course, another way of putting it yes.

Waldo: Honestly its fine. We often have to take roundabout ways to reach our goals in science.

Tyron: Yes, I guess that is the case.

Waldo: Try to keep your memory of that realization accessible. You never know what random moment you'll need it.

Tyron: [pause for moment before he gets the nerd joke.] …haha. … yes. Still, I would watch out. Erikson is still questioning if your reliable.

Waldo: Really? Where did you hear that?

Tyron: [startled] Just rumors around the mess hall. Listen, I would be interested to see how you managed to stabilize the matrix.

Waldo: I'll explain while I finalize the demonstration preparations.

[They leave the room, but just as Aelita and Odd begin to follow, the door slams shut in front of them.

A screen pops up.]

Aelita: You have got to me kidding me.

Odd: What?

Aelita: A test. We can't follow the flashback until we answer a question on what we just saw.

Odd: Aelita… your dad hasn't been a teacher for 13 years and he's still giving out homework.

Aelita: I know.

[Aelita tries using creativity to see if she can just bypass the locked door directly. It fails.

The screen reads "What is most important to Waldo?"

She types in "making a reliable communications system for general use."

It shows a green correct.

The purple flames surround Odd's left eye again. He cries out in alarm.]

Aelita: Odd?!

* * *

Sissi: Who's Tyron and Grigory?

Laura: I don't know. Did you hear what he said something about XANA being a threat?

Sissi: Wait, he knows about XANA?

Laura: You know? What is it?

Sissi: I don't know. Ulrich and the others have mentioned it a couple of times.

Diva: Will you be quiet. Someone is going to-

CRACK

[Grigory dashes out from behind a tree in the direction of Sissi. He activates his gauntlet. Laura spots the gun that Grigory still has in his hand.]

Laura: RUN!

[Sissi takes off. Diva circles to get behind Grigory. She swings the guitar case off her back. Diva appears to have Grigory's attention.

And then Grigory whirls around to back hand Sissi with the gauntlet. She goes down hard. Grigory crouches down to use the gauntlet on her. Diva sparks up her hand and prepares to ignite her guitar into a magnetic battle axe again.

…Until she notices that Laura didn't run away. Laura kicks Grigory away from Sissi before he can close the gauntlet on her head.

When Grigory tries to shoot her, she twists his armed hand away from her and slams her palm into his nose.]

CRACK

[Grigory's nose is broken. Sissi looks up from the ground in awe.]

Sissi: Laura…you're a badass?

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	20. EP 18: Backup and Restore D

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[Laura steers Grigory's firing arm away from anyone, kicks him in the groin and flips him onto his back still controlling one of his arms. Diva smashes her guitar down on Grigory's head. He collapses and falls to the ground. Laura makes to pin his arm to his back.]

Laura: Get me something to tie him

[Grigory suddenly breaks out of her pin & springs up. Grigory uses his weight and size to shoulder check Laura so she's blown backward with the wind knocked out of her and onto the ground. Grigory catches a guitar swing from Diva. Diva dodges backward letting go of the guitar case and taking up another stance. Grigory looks to attack her.]

WHAM

[A hook kick hits him from behind in the temple, unsteadying him.]

Grigory: Urgh.

[As he falls, the attacker is revealed to be Sissi. Laura stares are her.]

Sissi: [answers the obvious question] Why does everyone forget I know Pencak Silat?

RUSSLE

[Grigory wasn't out for good and was apparently searching for his gun. And had found it. He turns up to fire at the two, but Laura grabs his arm and redirects his aim.]

BANG

[The shot doesn't hit anyone and sails into the air thanks to Laura twisting his wrist at the last second. Laura knees Grigory and gets him to keel over. Then she hammers her elbow into his skull. He releases his hold on the gun allowing Laura to control it. She aims it at him taking a shooting stance of someone who is obviously held a gun before.

Grigory sees the position he's in and slowly, but surely backs away into the woodland.]

[beat]

[Laura holds her position until he's gone, but the minute he is she starts shaking. She's freaking out, drops the gun and collapses against a tree.]

Diva: What's wrong? Did he get you?

Laura: No, I'm FINE. I'M FINE!

[She looks up at the two staring at her.]

Laura: Just look away. Please.

[They do.]

Sissi: What was that?

Laura: [gives the technical explanation] A Level 3 pressure point targeting a skull split. He should have a concussion at least.

[Sissi looks at her wanting a further explanation.]

Laura: [gives the answer Sissi wanted] Krav Maga…My mother insisted I take self-defense classes before I went to an overseas boarding school.

Sissi: You're really good.

Laura: Thanks, I know.

Sissi: [trying to make the situation seem normal] You should come to Jim's fight club sometime. I bet you could actually make friends there.

Laura: No.

Sissi: Why not?

Laura: [bursts out] Because last time I-

Diva: [tries to break them up] We should get going. Everyone in the house definitely heard the fight. We were supposed to have evacuated with the school. We can't let Graven see us-

Laura: Let him come. I have my leverage now. [Holds up the gun she stole.]

* * *

BANG

[Graven is distracted by the noises of the fight with Grigory.]

Jeremie: [whisper] Yumi, do the thing.

[Yumi prepares to Lan fa Graven in the back of the head.

He bolts without even glancing back at them. He's running toward the location of the gunshot.]

Jeremie: Let's go.

William: We don't know who Grigory was fighting.

Jeremie: Check later. Graven's on it and Aelita needs our help.

[They all run down into the basement.]

* * *

[_Nightcore: Nightmare_-by Cherry (original by Set It Off) begins to play.]

[Ulrich is racing along a lower path than Orange and his clone. He jumps into the air. Orange's clone throws its sword forcing Ulrich to block and lose momentum. He falls back to the lower path and crashes to the ground.]

Orange: [laughs] You're so predictable.

[Ulrich gets back up and keeps running after them. He jumps from tree to tree and gains elevation until he can jump back to the upper path.

Orange turns around to see that Ulrich caught up and smiles.

They both run onto a plateau. They weave in and around trees. Orange uses Ulrich's sword as a pole to swing around a tree and reverse his direction back toward Ulrich. He jumps and mid air kicks him in the chest. Ulrich goes down and the clone comes to follow up with a kick. Ulrich rolls out of the way and back onto his feet.]

Orange: You didn't see that coming either? [flips his sword around his hand just like Ulrich does.] Are you even trying? [spins the sword up in a tumble with his fingers.] Well, I guess you never do for anything but fighting. [catches the sword with a flourish]

Ulrich: TRIPLICATE!

[Ulrich and his clones attack the unarmed orange clone. Orange throws his sword to the clone's hand to block Ulrich's clone's attack. Ulrich switches his target back to the now defenseless Orange. Orange dodges once before the clone can throw the sword back to him. Ulrich attacks him once, but the sabers already in Orange Prime's hand.

Block.

The ulrich clone switches targets for a second attack on orange prime.

Block.

All Ulrichs attack.

Dodge and the Orange and his clone knees the Ulrich clone's in the back of their head, destroying them. Orange clone catches a clone's saber before it hits the ground.]

Orange: Now I know this might be difficult to understand, but not every problem can be solved by hitting it.

[Ulrich growls. Ulrich does a fancy sword spin.

He flips the hilt of his sword and takes a backhand gasp on it. Then he holds it horizontal palm down, he releases it just as he hits it with his other hand, spinning it around to the back of his hand and into the air. He carefully catches it with the tips of his fingers at the hilt and back of his hand at the blade tip, spinning it up into the air again. He catches it in a two handed grasp while its in motion but instead of a down stab, he transitions into a side slice that fells the tree behind him. It smashes down where Orange and his clone were.]

Orange: [from atop the tree] [encouraging] Okay now you're getting it.

[Ulrich sees Orange and his clone on top of the tree just as they jump down. Ulrich super sprints away and the orange avatars follow. Their light trails curve around trees as their swords clash and trees fall from Ulrich's slashes.

Ulrich runs along a tree as its falling to gain elevation and then jumps down with a down slash at the Orange clone. The clone deflects the hit.

Orange slides from underneath the trunk of the tree Ulrich ran up and into Ulrich. He goes down, immediately rolls back onto his feet and slashes at Orange. Orange grabs his wrist to stop the slash before it lands & twist and pulls Ulrich into the incoming elbow of Orange's clone.

Ulrich's face vs elbow. Elbow wins and Ulrich slams against the downed tree. Ulrich slumps against the side.]

Ulrich  
LP 80 - 75

[Ulrich starts to look distraught. He takes off in super sprint and launches himself onto a tree that fell against a branch creating a long ramp over a chasm between this plateau and the next plateau with the memory tree. The second he looks behind, Orange is there twirling his sword.

Ulrich tries to go for Orange's legs with a leg sweep. Orange blocks the motion by stabbing his saber into the ground to stop the motion of Ulrich's leg before it can hit him and simultaneously use the saber as a lever to launch a kick into Ulrich.

Orange runs at the downed Ulrich.]

Orange: Immmmpact!

[Stabs at Ulrich.]

Ulrich: Not today. [jumps up as the attack destroys the tree and snaps it in two below him. Orange starts falling toward the digital sea.] You're dead. [winds up to throw his saber down at Orange.]

Orange: [retorts] Dead on.

[The orange clone flying kicks Ulrich out of the air and onto a completely other plateau.

Orange stabs his saber into the roots of a tree below the plateau to stop his fall. He swings up into his sword and uses it as a platform to jump up to the tower plateau. The remaining orange clone passes its saber to Orange prime.]

[_Nightcore: Nightmare_ pauses.]

* * *

Aelita: Odd are you okay.

Odd: Yeah. I think I'm getting the feeling of what triggers it. How did you know the answer was "results"?

Aelita: Odd that wasn't the answer to the question.

[Another question pops up.

What is most important to Waldo's boss?

She types "results".

BING

It's correct.]

Odd: Huh.

Aelita: Yeah.

[Odd starts dancing for no discernible reason besides being Odd Della Robbia.]

Odd: [singing Back street boys "Everybody" parody] "Oh my _Odd_ it's back again." And it's even got flame effects this time.

Aelita: Celebrate later. [She pulls him into the next room much to his protest.]

[Aelita and Odd step into a new room. It's filled with wires and huge pipes run along the sides with coolant all plugged into a massive supercomputer that takes up the back half of the room. Cases of what must be the supercomputer's processors radiate out like spokes from the machine before they swerve up, over where Waldo is standing and into the top of the machine. What looks like the entire base is lined up along the aisles of processors trying to get a view of what Waldo was saying.]

Aelita: So this is the first supercomputer daddy built. What he created XANA to destroy.

Odd: And judging from how XANA took over Lyoko, he went above and beyond with that job.

[Waldo, Anthea, Tyron and their support team are lined up around the machine's interface. Waldo is in the process of explaining something.]

Waldo: … but in order to make a signal grid that could also be encrypted as well as operator for incoming signals, it obviously requires a massive amount of processes.

Odd: Can't your laptop do that now?

Aelita: Yes.

Tyron: [states the obvious] Which is only capable of being generated by this supercomputer.

Anthea: We've had the processing capability for sometime now, but it never could be interpreted or manipulated. And when we simplified the trial down to a preprogrammed algorithmic search for specific signals, it wouldn't receive incoming signals it should have.

Tyron: So, Waldo thought the best way was to create a virtual world.

[A vector graph of a small hexagonal prism appears on the monitor behind him. It's made of sharp, green lines formed by large pixels. Tyron obviously tried to add a flourishing gesture, but it comes off as awkward.]

[beat]

Researcher 1: He made a toy.

Researcher 2: Are we supposed to plug in a controller?

[laughing can be heard from everywhere except from the team around the computer.]

Erikson: Silence! [the noise stops dead] Continue Waldo.

Waldo: [nervously clears throat] The solution was visualizing the supercomputer core in a virtual world and manipulating it from there rather than through coding. The visualization acts as an intermediary both to prevent the computations becoming observable and to manipulate the input. I've called this visualization "The First City". It's just a hub now, but as we expand the visualization it will be able to perform our intended functions.

Researcher 1: Why does this work?

Anthea: Finally, an honest inquiry. Using qubits, we could extrapolate arrays from nonbinary sets of data and have the hub decide on which arrays to operate or pay attention to. But because of the in-quantum state, we were unable to isolate intended data. Instead we could either have the whole array or a single biased result.

Waldo: As we don't have to force a single observable state, we don't lose any of the result.

Aelita: [to Odd] The virtual world solidifies the quantum states making them interpretable rather than being in between one state and the other making it unreadable.

Odd: I feel like I'm watching _Ant Man_ again.

Aelita: This is real.

Odd: [whines] But it sounds fake.

Aelita: What do you call the last 4 years?

Odd: An extended suspension of disbelief.

Anthea: The theory may not impress some of you or go over your heads. [to waldo] we should give them a demonstration.

[Anthea whispers something to Waldo. While there is no way the two avatars should have been able to hear over the machinery, they heard it clearly as if it was directly to them.]

Anthea: This is political meeting, not a board wanting experiment results. We need something more than words.

[Waldo nods in agreement and starts to work on the supercomputer. Tyron looks confused as he was excluded from the conversation.]

Anthea: Someone name a city.

Researcher 3: Shanghai.

Waldo: Okay.

[He adjusts something.]

Waldo: What should the message be?

Erikson: Who's the recipient.

Waldo: It doesn't matter.

Erikson: Just use lorem ipsum for the message. 20 words will do.

Waldo: Alright. It's sent. Will someone kindly get a status report from Shanghai?

[Researcher 1 speed walks out of the room.]

[Odd's left eye flares up purple again. This time he isn't in pain. The right side of his vision is of the lab, but the left is of him back in the forest. Orange throws a sword at him.

Odd blinks and the flames extinguish.]

Odd: [amazement] It's back! I just saw Ulrich's doppelganger throw a sword at me.

Aelita: This is serious. You need to sit down.

Odd: No no, I've got control of it.

[The results of the demonstration return in the hands of the researcher. He reads off the message.]

Researcher 1: "At 3:09 PM, every single screen in Shanghai went blank and then displayed a 20 word message for 20 seconds." It started with "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet".

[Every face in the room is stamped with amazement. Tyron cheers. Waldo hugs Anthea and kisses her on the cheek.

But Aelita didn't look so happy.]

Odd: That's your "We're in trouble" face.

Aelita: The supercomputer back then was able to control every electrical device and papa just made them display a message. But someone could very easily just take control and cause chaos.

[A door on the side wall opens up after being locked. A holo screen pops up above it and label's it, "Exit".]

Aelita: We need to tell the others about this.

[They both run out the exit and back to the forest sector backup.]

* * *

[Sissi is bandaging the left side of her head where the gauntlet struck her. Laura is off by herself leaning against a tree.]

Sissi: Can you hold this.

Diva: Sure. [holds a loose end of the gauze]

Sissi: How come you aren't hurt?

Diva: I'm invincible. [Sissi finishes the bandage wrap] Is that good?

Sissi: [smiles] It's good. [flips her expression] Now buzz off.

[Diva looks amused at her but doesn't have time to say anything. They hear someone running up to them. It's Graven. He looks surprised to see them.

Laura and Diva walk over. Laura is looking determined. She still has the gun in her hand.]

[Beat]

[She carefully hands it over to him.]

Laura: I was able to disarm the intruder on campus. He was wearing a black trench coat and had a 2 meter build. While my fingerprints are on the outside, you might be able to pick up some from the magazine.

Graven: [awe-struck] Well that is most fortunate that you were able to escape from an armed intruder safety. [resumes composure] Why are you three out here instead of hiding with the rest of the school?

Laura: uh-

Diva: [steps in front of her] I wanted to be a hero and take the guy down. I mean, this happens all the time back home in America. It's no big deal to me. But she [points to Laura] insisted on following me to try to bring me back and Delmas [points to Sissi] was being responsible by not letting students run off during a crisis.

Graven: Well, it's best if we return to campus and I'll fill the principal in on the situation. Thank you for your quick thinking.

[The girls make to return. Sissi and Diva walk along, but Laura stops.]

Laura: [planting a conversation] You wanted to say something?

Graven: No… actually now that you mention it, how did you initiate contact with our "headmaster" in the first place?

Laura: [not what she was expecting] Oh, it was nothing special. I just found a business card from your company. I must have picked it up at a career fair. [digs in her shoulder bag and pulls out the card.]

Graven: That's impossible, we don't do career-

[Stops as he stares at the card in his hand. He pulls out his business card from his wallet. They are identical. He flips the cards over to show the backs. Her copy has his signature on it.]

Graven: You said you were the one to identify Aelita? What's your relationship with her?

Laura: [simply] She hates me. [puzzled] I feel like I should know why, but I every time I try to remember it just slips away.

Graven: Memory is a mysterious thing, isn't it? I won't forget what you did today.

Laura: [surprised and happy] Oh. Your welcome.

Graven: Move along now.

[As soon as she's out of sight of Graven, Laura does a little fist pump to herself.]

Laura: Yes!

[As he's walking Graven takes out his phone. He plugs in a dongle and it turns on.]

Graven: I need to speak with Tyron... It needs to be him…Tell him his dog walker should be fired… Just tell him.

Beep

Tyron: [phone] What is this about Grigory?

Graven: The targets said they were attacked by a man with the machine. And he had dogs with him. I was supposed to be the only one here. The task was complicated due to-

Tyron: [phone] I did not send Grigory.

Graven: Then who did?

Tyron: Finish your job and report back. I have a call to make.

* * *

Orange: You're never going to win.

Ulrich: Not yet. I can do this all day.

Orange: I'm not talking about this fight. [Ulrich's confused] You challenged William because you wanted to turn "the race for Yumi" into a fight. Because that's the only way you think this can end.

Ulrich: [refusal] No, he was getting too close.

Orange: You know it's kind of pathetic that William always has to lose to you. Especially when you never have the initiative to follow through.

Ulrich: I didn't have the time.

Orange: You had an entire year!

Ulrich: I was working through my emotions.

Orange: You don't have emotions. You have grouchy and not grouchy. You wasted your _time_ and you wasted your _clones_.

[Ulrich notices that his headband is shorter than when it had initially appeared when he spawned in.]

[_Nightcore: Nightmare_ resumes.]

Ulrich: Hey Orange!

Orange: [annoyed] What?

Ulrich: TRIANGULATE!

[Ulrich's Headband tail completely disappears in as its consumed in Yellow aura. A triangle of afterimages appears around the two orange avatars. Two Ulrich clones stab the orange clone in the back.

Now it's 3 on 1.]

Orange: What!? You haven't blocked nearly enough of my attacks to get the virtual energy back. How did you start with enough energy for 2 triplicates?

Ulrich: I…have… NO IDEA!

[Ulrich and clones triple team Orange. Orange dodges and parries them, trying to get one hit on the clones. Ulrich jumps up and slashes down and back up in a U, tearing the saber out of Orange's grasp and into the air. With the new opportunity, a clone moves in to stab Orange in the back.

Orange blocks with his own katana scabbard without drawing the sword.]

[beat]

Orange: You forgot I never drew my sword, didn't you? Next time try to make me actually need to use it "Kirito".

Ulrich: Next time?

Orange: I never said I didn't have virtual energy left. [tilts his head to show his Warrior's Wolf Tail. Instead of its full length, it was significantly shorter than when Orange had first appeared.] TRIANGULATE! [More the orange hair disintegrates into particles and floats away. Orange glows and two clones split off from him.

The next few things happen almost simultaneously.

Orange prime takes out one of Ulrich's clones. Ulrich and the remaining Ulrich clone double attack an orange clone. The Ulrich clone aims for the head while Ulrich himself aims to nick the orange clone on the leg. The orange clone knowing its going to be taken out, stabs the Ulrich clone in the arm, destroying it completely, and lets itself be decapitated. The other orange clone runs to where it can catch the sword Ulrich had knocked into the air. Orange prime is preparing for something and isn't even facing Ulrich.

Ulrich charges at Orange.]

Ulrich: [wild] IMPACT!

Rama: [calm] Fusion Slash

[The orange clone catches the sword and is reabsorbed into Orange, placing the sword into Orange's hand. But now its glowing red and somehow almost twice its normal length. He's in the perfect stance for a side slash and the extra length will allow him to cut Ulrich before his stab even reaches Orange.

Ulrich immediately drops his stab and goes into guard.]

CRACK

[Orange's blade smashed through Ulrich's saber despite them being the same type of blade and slices Ulrich in two.]

Ulrich  
LP 75- 0

[The blade is so long the strike continues into the tower…

At head level…

Just as Aelita and Odd exit.]

THUNK

[_Nightcore: Nightmare_ ends. Cut to black.]

KEEP READING. NEXT PAGE.


	21. EP 18: Backup and Restore E

**To the readers**

I appreciate any comments on the story.

Notes

[] are used to indicate stage directions

All dialogue follows a "Speaker: dialogue" format

{} are used for author comments.

CONTINUE

[The 3 Lyoko Warriors in the real world get back to the secret room just as Ulrich is defeated. They see his player card turning grey signaling his devirtualization.]

Yumi: Can you interrupt the process or stall it or something?

Jeremie: Ye.. it . .. it's done. Can't do anything.

[There is silence for a moment.

Then Yumi gets a call.]

Yumi: Ulrich!

Ulrich: [phone] I'm fine.

Jeremie: Where are you?

Ulrich: If one of our scanners is down or being used, and one of us is devirtualized, where do we go?

Jeremie: Well, you're put into que for the next available scan-You're in the factory!

[Cut to Ulrich in the scanner room at the factory.]

Ulrich: Yep. Hey William?

William: Yeah?

Ulrich: I just teleported.

William: Holy crap we have teleportation technology.

Jeremie: [mad scientist glint in his eye] We have teleportation.

Yumi: [calms the boys down] Okay, but what about Aelita and Odd?

* * *

[Orange's saber had bounced off the tree tower without leaving a scratch, stopping before it had a chance to hit Aelita and Odd.]

SYSTEM ALERT  
INVULNERABLE OBJECT

Orange: Huh. How did the professor make an object that couldn't be damaged? That should be against the rules. I guess I should just chalk that up to him being the deus ex machina of this world.

Aelita: XANA!

Orange: Huh, so you think I'm XANA too? You killed XANA. Remember?

Aelita: But then it survived in the Cortex.

[Odd activates future flash, tilting his head away so Orange can't see the flames around his left eye.]

Orange: Oh, so that's what you think happened. Hmmh.

Odd: Next you'll say-

Odd and Orange: "It's ridiculously insulting to compare XANA to something as little as me-"

Orange: [surprised] Huh? Annoying little-

[Orange throws his sword at Odd in the same way he did in Odd's vision (just with more color now) using super sprint. Odd's head is already moving and the sword misses his head by a slim margin.]

Orange: So, you have future flash back.

Odd: And no one is ever taking it away again.

Rama: As I was saying, so I'd rather you call me something different. And I've named myself before Odd can come up with a ridiculous nickname for me.

Odd: WAT?!

Orange: Call me [poses dramatically] Rama.

[He super sprints away.]

Odd: I don't believe it… HE CALLED MY NICKNAMES RIDICULOUS! What gives him the right to judge my linguistic skills? He would be honored to be dubbed by Odd the success machine.

* * *

[Cut to the dining trailer. It's night outside. The Lyoko Warriors are there eating dinner. Odd is digging into his food. Ulrich is sulking after his defeat and picking at his food. Only Yumi doesn't have a tray as she doesn't have a meal plan.]

Yumi: What's wrong? Upset you kicked your own ass?

Ulrich: I would like to see you do better.

Yumi: Oh, I have. Several times.

William: There she is [as Aelita walks up to them with a smile on her face.] I take it went well?

Aelita: I can stay at Kadic. The evidence Graven had of my real identity "suddenly" didn't exist and a call to "Odd's parents" put any doubts Delmas had to rest.

Odd: ALL RIGHT!

Nearby tables glare at Odd. He waves them off with a grin.]

Aelita: [To Jeremie] Also, you'll be happy to know I overheard Delmas say the Grigory's weapons were turned over to the police. And they have an investigation open on him.

William: Alright, now we don't have to repeat the day and try to expose him ourselves again.

Jeremie: Right. The less we're involved with him, the better. It was unintentional, but it is the best-case scenario.

Ulrich: [grouchy] So how did you magic the blackmail away?

Jeremie: Aelita and Odd discovered that Project Carthage was initially for sharing communications by taking over electronic wavelengths. From there, I got the idea of making a program that checks all of Deckard's devices and constantly overrides any sort of documents that reveal Aelita's identity.

William: Wait doesn't that mean you can access anyone's data anywhere. Including Tyron's?!

Jeremie: [stops a spoon of soup halfway to his mouth] Yah.

William: Then why don't we just crash all their systems.

Jeremie: Because then we'll be abusing the supercomputer's power. Like what we're trying to STOP them from doing. We're only going to use this power defensibly. And we're going to need it too. You remember those upgrades you guys obtained when you were virtualized onto the backup forest sector?

Odd: OH! [to William] Bro, you'll never believe it. I have future flash back!

[Jeremie looks worried when he says that and Aelita can see the expression. They look at each other. She knows what he's thinking and nods.]

William: What's future flash?

Odd: I can see the future.

William: And why did you lose it?

Odd: Jeremie's tinkering made it not work and he couldn't get it back.

Ulrich: What happened to Odd the great [poses like Odd], the magnificent [another Odd pose], the fighting machine [a third Odd pose] who doesn't need an ability?

Odd: Well I'm not going to turn one down when I know it works.

Jeremie: Put a pin in that for now because-

Ulrich: While we're on the topic of upgrades, Orange kicked my butt.

Odd: He wants to be called [puts maximum emphasis on Jazz hands] """_Raamma"""_.

Ulrich: I need to step up my game with a new wea-

Jeremie: Look, I'm way to busy.

Aelita: You already made the XANA killer virus with Laura.

Jeremie: … I have free time?

Aelita: [confirms] You have free time.

Jeremie: But a new weapon would take way too long.

[Ulrich holds up his phone with an image on it.]

Jeremie: Oh that?! Simple. Three days max.

Odd: And my overboard?

Yumi: You just got a new ability.

Odd: It's not new and I was _owed_.

Jeremie: Owed for what? Never mind, we need to talk about that leveling system Franz had in the backup. I looked into it and it appears to be a way for your avatars to evolve over time. Remember how when you came back to Lyoko after a year, your avatars looked different? You had changed your personalities, psychologies, and other things that make up who you are over time, so the supercomputer changed your avatars to reflect that. This seems to be a similar effect, just with your equipment.

Ulrich: Is that why we have extra virtual energy for abilities now?

Jeremie: You've progressed a lot since your first virtualization so it just applied what upgrades you would have gotten along the way until now.

Aelita: That's not the sort of thing my father would make. He made Lyoko as a safe haven, not a game.

Jeremie: Right, which is why it's strange it was in the backup to begin with. But that's not the bad part. Remember how it said it was spreading the upgrade to all systems? The cortex has the same base as Lyoko. What if it spread to them?

William: So?

Jeremie: What if Tyron's fighters start upgrading their avatars too?

Episode 18 end.

AFTERWORD

The backstory of Project Carthage and Franz's life is based on the novel series, interviews with the show creators, and my own ideas on how the elements of discovering the backstory could tie into Evolution.

To make it easier and for the sake when I actually animate these scenes, I made all the avatars have a physical representation of their VEN meter. Ulrich's is his headbands, Odd has his cat ears, etc.


	22. Hiatus Announcement

Thank you for reading all of the story so far. As of this post I have 6 episodes published.

It's been a ton of work to get this far. As my intro says, I've been working on this since 2015. Every week, every month, of every year, I've always been planning, writing or gathering information to make this series real.

I have currently logged 16,144 minutes (269 hours) writing and 5,550 minutes (92.5 hours) on planning the series. Yep, I kept track. WITH A SPREADSHEET!

Again, thank you for reading up until this point.

However, I am tapped out creatively speaking. I was planning on publishing this at the start of April, but school and work pushed it back to now, August. Because I've worked on this series for 4 years and then four months beyond my planned schedule, I want to take a short break.

I can't wait to get started on the next batch of episodes. Those will be 5 episodes split between the two arcs. Expect those to take extraordinary shorter time to write as those aren't the introductory episodes, the planning for the series (including the literary bible) is already completed, and I have feed back from reviewers. I've estimated 2-3 months once I start writing. I'll update this post once I start writing again.

Fast forward to later, Ferezhunter


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